WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 277 



From the press of this city came Wilson's 

 famous ''Ornithology." By observing the birds 

 in their native haunts, he has been enabled to 

 purge their history of numberless absurdities, 

 which inexperienced theorists had introduced into 

 it. It is a pleasing and a brilliant work. We 

 have no description of birds in any European 

 publication that can come up to this. By perus- 

 ing Wilson's ''Ornithology" attentively before I 

 left England, I knew where to look for the birds, 

 and immediately recognized them in their native 

 land. 



Since his time, I fear the White-headed Eagles 

 have been much thinned. I was perpetually look- 

 ing out for them, but saw very few. One or two 

 came now and then, and soared in lofty flight over 

 the falls of Niagara. The Americans are proud 

 of this bird in effigy, and their hearts rejoice when 

 its banner is unfurled. Could they not then be 

 persuaded to protect the white-headed eagle, and 

 allow it to glide in safety over its own native 

 forests'? Were I an American, I should think I 

 had committed a kind of sacrilege in killing the 

 white-headed eagle. The Ibis was held sacred by 

 the Egyptians ; the Hollanders protect the Stork ; 

 the Vulture sits unmolested on the top of the 

 houses in the city of Angustura; and Robin-red- 

 breast, for liis charity, is cherished by the 

 English : — 



"No burial these pretty babes 

 Of any man receives, 

 Till robin-red-breast painfully 

 Did cover them with leaves."* 



* The fault against grammar is lost in the beauty of the idea. 



