loo RIO PARANA. [CHAP. vu. 



their short legs and long wings, it is very improbable that this can be a 

 general habit 



In our course down the Parana, I observed only three other birds, 

 whose habits are worth mentioning. One is a small king-fisher 

 (Ceryle Americana) ; it has a longer tail than the European species, and 

 hence does not sit in so stiff and upright a position. Its flight also, 

 instead of being direct and rapid, like the course of an arrow, is weak 

 and undulatory, as among the soft-billed birds. It utters a low note, 

 like the clicking together of two small stones. A small green parrot 

 (Conurus murinus), with a grey breast, appears to prefer the tall trees 

 on the islands to any other situation for its building-place. A number 

 of nests are placed so close together as to form one great mass of sticks. 

 These parrots always live in flocks, and commit great ravages on the 

 corn-fields. I was told that near Colonia 2,50x3 were killed in the course 

 of one year. A bird with a forked tail, terminated by two long feathers 

 (Tyrannus savana), and named by the Spaniards scissor-tail, is very 

 common near Buenos Ayres ; it commonly sits on a branch of the ombit 

 tree, near a house, and thence takes a short flight in pursuit of insects, 

 and returns to the same spot. When on the wing it presents in its 

 manner of flight and general appearance a caricature-likeness of the 

 common swallow. It has the power of turning very shortly in the air, 

 and in so doing opens and shuts its tail, sometimes in a horizontal or 

 lateral and sometimes in a vertical direction, just like a pair of scissors. 



October ibth. Some leagues below Rozario, the western shore of the 

 Parana is bounded by perpendicular cliffs, which extend in a long line 

 to below San Nicolas ; hence it more resembles a sea-coast than that of 

 a fresh-water river. It is a great drawback to the scenery of the Parana, 

 that, from the soft nature of its banks, the water is very muddy. The 

 Uruguay, flowing through a granitic country, is much clearer ; and where 

 the two channels unite at the head of the Plata, the waters may for a 

 long distance be distinguished by their black and red colours. In the 

 evening, the wind being not quite fair, as usual we immediately moored, 

 and the next day, as it blew rather freshly, though with a favouring 

 current, the master was much too indolent to think of starting. At 

 Bajada, he was described to me as "hombre muy aflicto" a man 

 always miserable to get on ; but certainly he bore all delays with 

 admirable resignation. He was an old Spaniard, and had been many 

 years in this country. He professed a great liking to the English, but 

 stoutly maintained that the battle of Trafalgar was merely won by the 

 Spanish captains having been all bought over ; and that the only really 

 gallant action on either side was performed by the Spanish admiral. 

 It struck me as rather characteristic, that this man should prefer his 

 countrymen being thought the worst of traitors, rather than unskilful or 

 cowardly. 



October l%th and igth. We continued slowly to sail down the noble 

 stream ; the current helped us but little. We met, during our descent, 

 very few vessels. One of the best gifts of nature, in so grand a channel 

 of communication, seems here wilfully thrown away a river in which 

 ships might navigate from a temperate country, as surprisingly abundant 



