WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 177 



recollect that the serpent is never the first to offend ; 

 Ins poisonous fang was not given him for conquest : he 

 never inflicts a wound with it but to defend existence. 

 Provided you walk cautiously, and do not absolutely touch 

 him, you may pass in safety close by him. As he is often 

 coiled up on the ground, and amongst the branches of the 

 trees above you, a degree of circumspection is necessary, 

 lest you unwarily disturb him. 



Tigers are too few, and too apt to fly before the noble 

 face of man, to require a moment of your attention. 



The bite of the most noxious of the insects, at the very 

 worst, only causes a transient fever, with a degree of pain 

 more or less. 



Birds in general, with few exceptions, are not common in 

 the very remote parts of the forest. The sides of rivers, 

 lakes, and creeks, the borders of savannas, the old abandoned 

 habitations of Indians and woodcutters, seem to be their 

 favourite haunts. 



Though least in size, the glittering mantle of the Humming- 

 bird entitles it to the first place in the list of the birds of 

 the new world. It may truly be called the Bird of Paradise ; 

 and had it existed in the old world, it would have claimed 

 the title instead of the bird which has now the honour to 

 bear it : see it darting through the air almost as quick as 

 thought ! now it is within a yard of your face ! in an 

 instant gone ! now it flutters from flower to flower to sip 

 the silver dew it is now a ruby now a topaz^now an 

 emerald now all burnished gold ! It would be arrogant 

 to pretend to describe this winged gem of nature after 

 Buffon's elegant description of it. 



Cayenne and Dernerara produce the same humming-birds. 

 Perhaps you would wish to know something of their 

 haunts. Chiefly in the months of July and August the 

 tree called Bois Immortel, very common in Demerara, bears 



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