HUMBOLDT'S MEXAGEIME. 147 



jaguar had remained motionless. I arrived at the 

 boat out of breath and related my adventure to the 

 Indians, who loaded their firelocks and accom- 

 panied us to the place where the animal had lain. 

 He was there no longer, and it would have been 

 imprudent to follow him into the forest." 



Very curious is the account given by M. Hum- 

 boldt of the ambulatory menagerie which he car- 

 ried about with him during this part of his expe- 

 dition. " In one of the huts of the Pacimonales 

 (Indians) we made the acquisition of two large fine 

 birds, a toucan and an emu, a species of macaw, 

 seventeen inches long, having the whole body of a 

 purple colour. We had already in our canoe seven 

 parrots, two mannakins, a motmot, two guans, two 

 rnanaviris, and eight monkeys. Father Zea (a 

 Roman Catholic missionary, who accompanied the 

 travellers) whispered some complaints at the daily 

 augmentation of this collection ! The toucan re- 

 sembles the raven in its manners and intelligence. 

 It is a courageous animal, but easily tamed. Its 

 long and stout beak serves to defend it at a dis- 

 tance. It makes itself master of the house, steals 

 whatever it can come at, and loves to bathe often 

 and fish on the banks of the river. The toucan we 

 had bought was very young ; yet it took delight, 

 during the whole voyage, in teasing the nocturnal 

 monkeys, which are sad and passionate. This 



'2' 10 



