AMERICAN BIRDS. 279 



his honor. f For if we shall indge the kindes of beasts by LlB - IV - 

 their properties, those of the Indies are so diverse, as it is 

 to call an egge a chesnut, to seeke to reduce them to the 

 knowne kinds of Europe! 



CHAP, xxxvu. Of Fowles that are proper to the Indies. 



There are many kindes of notable fowles at the Indies, 

 eyther of the same sort that ours be, or of different. They 

 bring certaine birds from China that have no feete, and all 

 their bodies are almost feathers. They sit not vpon the 

 ground, but hang vpon boughs, by strings or feathers 

 which they have, and so rest themselves like flies or aierie 

 things. 1 In Peru there are birdes which they call Tominejos, 2 

 so small that often times I have doubted, seeing them flie, 

 whether they were bees or butter-flies ; but in truth they 

 are birdes. Contrariwise, those which they call Condores 

 be of an exceeding greatnes, and of such a force, that not 

 onely they will open a sheepe and eate it, but also a whole 

 calfe. Those which they call Auras, and others Gallinazos 3 

 (which in my opinion are of a kinde of ravens) are of a 

 strange fleetness, and have a very quicke sight, being very 

 fit to dense citties, for that they leave no carion nor dead 

 thing. They passe the night on trees or vpon rockes, and in 

 the morniug they come to the cities and townes, sitting on 

 the toppes of the highest buildings, where they attend 

 their prey. Their young have white feathers, as they report 

 of ravens, and so change into blacke. 



The Guacamayos 4 be birdes bigger then parrots, and re 

 semble them somthing; they are esteemed for the varietie 

 of their feathers, which be very faire and pleasing. In New 



1 This is the old error about birds of Paradise. 



2 Humming birds. 3 Turkey buzzards. Macaws. 



