10 WANDERINGS IN 



poor ill-formed creature's claim would be the last 

 upon the lowest degree. 



Birds. Demerara yields to no -country in the world in 



her wonderful and beautiful productions of the 

 feathered race. Here the finest precious stones 

 are far surpassed by the vivid tints which adorn 

 the birds. The naturalist may exclaim, that 

 nature has not known where to stop in forming 

 new species, and painting her requisite shades. 

 Almost every one 6f those singular and elegant 

 birds described by Buffon as belonging to Cay- 

 enne, are to be met with in Demerara ; but it is 

 only by an indefatigable naturalist that they are 

 to be found. 



The scarlet curlew breeds in innumerable 

 quantities in the muddy islands on the coasts 

 of Pomauron ; the egrets and crabiers in the 

 same place. They resort to the mud -flats at 

 ebbing water, while thousands of sandpipers and 

 plovers, with here and there a spoonbill and 

 flamingo, are seen amongst them. The pelicans 

 go farther out to sea, but return at sundown to 

 the courada-trees. The humming-birds are chiefly 

 to be found near the flowers at which each of the 

 species of the genus is wont to feed. The pie, 

 the gallinaceous, the columbine, and passerine 

 tribes resort to the fruit-bearing trees. 



The You never fail to see the common vulture 



where there is carrion. In passing up the river 

 there was an opportunity of seeing a pair of the 



