16 PARA. Chap. I. 



just as lively, restless, bold, and wary ; their notes are 

 very similar ; chirping and inharmonious, and they seem 

 to be almost as fond of the neighbourhood of man. 

 They do not, however, build their nests on houses. 



Another interesting and common bird was the Japim, 

 a species of Cassicus (C. icteronotus). It belongs to the 

 same family of birds as our starling, magpie and rook. 

 It has a rich yellow and black plumage, remarkably 

 compact and velvety in texture. The shape of its 

 head and its physiognomy are very similar to those 

 of the magpie ; it has light gray eyes, which give 

 it the same knowing expression. It is social in its 

 habits ; and builds its nest, like the English rook, on 

 trees in the neighbourhood of habitations. But the 

 nests are quite differently constructed, being shaped 

 like purses, two feet in length, and suspended from the 

 slender branches all round the tree, some of them very 

 near the ground. The entrance is on the side near the 

 bottom of the nest. This bird is a great favourite with 

 the Brazilians of Para : it is a noisy, stirring, babbling 

 creature, passing constantly to and fro, chattering to its 

 comrades, and is very ready at imitating other birds, 

 especially the domestic poultry of the vicinity. There 

 was at one time a weekly newspaper published at 

 Para, called "The Japim ;" the name being chosen, I 

 suppose, on account of the babbling propensities of the 

 bird. Its eggs are nearly round, and of a bluish-white 

 colour, speckled with brown. 



Of other vertebrate animals we saw very little except 

 of the lizards. These are sure to attract the attention of 

 the new comer from Northern Europe, by reason of 



