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Tliis plant produces a woolly Iruit, of the size of a peach, of 

 a glutinous substaiir e, containing a great quantity of seeds. It 

 is sweet and well flavoured, and is easily preserved by catting 

 it into slices, and drying them in the sun. The tree that pro- 

 duces ll'.e Greek or Turkey bean, is coniraon throughout the 

 province ; it is of four kinds, two of which are good eating ; o 

 the others, one is used as provender for horses, and the other 

 in making i^ik. Among the plants of Cujo is one that is very 

 iinguiar; it is called tlie Jlower of the air, from its having no 

 root, nor ever being fixed to {lie earlh. Its native situation is 

 an arid rock, or a dry tree, around which it entwines itself. 

 Tills plant consists of a single shoot, resembling the stock of 

 the gillyflower, but its leaves are krger and thicker, and so 

 hard that the.y seem to tlie touch like wood. Each shoot, or 

 stalk, produces two or throe white tran-parent flowers, in size 

 and shape resembling the lily ; they are full as odoriferous as 

 that flower, and nuiv be ineserved fresh for more than two 

 rnoiitlis on their stalks, aud for several days when jJucked off. 

 But the most woiuh rfiil property of this plant is, that it may 

 be transpoiled \^itlioul ;L!iy diilkr.Ity for upward of three hun- 

 dred miles, and will produte flfjv.eis annually if only sus- 

 pended uiHii a i;ail. 



Tills province abounds with birds, among which are two 

 parrots that are different from thos:..> of Chili. The first is a 

 little less than the turtle dove, and has a green back and 

 whitish belly; the other, called pcriquito, is rather larger. Its 

 plumage is a dark green, txcep'i the ht'ad, wiiieii is Llack, and 

 a mixture of red upon tiie back, 'iiie partridges -ue ot two 

 kinds. The llrst, calknl 7nurtinctc:i, is of iiie size of a domestic 

 fowl, has a beautiful tuft upot: ii^ Iivad, and is adorntd wilh 

 handsome plumes of various ecsoVi's; its llesli is verv deliiuie, 

 and. its egg^ are green. The toinmon jii'.itridge is in givat 

 uL'\indanee, and so taine tlr,;: a iir.in wil'i a rce;!, Jo wliiiJ! a 

 siiaic is fi'Unc't!, will take tuc;;;' ')r ll'ir!'. ( f llrn) in a i'cw 

 houis. 'ine aHanil, or uias-;.';!, so ealicd i'roai th'.- mani;i.r of 



