SOUTH AMERICA. 14-3 



of these, the blue heron, the large and small brown 8EC "> 



JOURNEY. 



heron, the boatbill, and Muscovy duck, now and 



then rise up before you. 



When the sun has sunk in the western woods, 

 no longer agitated by the breeze ; when you can 

 only see a straggler or two of the feathered tribe 

 hastening to join its mate, already at its roosting 

 place, then it is that the goatsucker comes out of The Goat- 

 the forest, where it has sat all day long in slum- s ' 

 bering ease, unmindful of the gay and busy scenes 

 around it. Its eyes are too delicately formed to 

 bear the light, and thus it is forced to shun the 

 flaming face of day, and wait in patience till night 

 invites him to partake of the pleasures her dusky 

 presence brings. 



The harmless, unoffending goatsucker, from the 

 time of Aristotle down to the present day, has 

 been in disgrace with man. Father has handed 

 down to son, and author to author, that this noc- 

 turnal thief subsists by milking the flocks. Poor 

 injured little bird of night, how sadly hast thou 

 suffered, and how foul a stain has inattention to 

 facts put upon thy character ! Thou hast never 

 robbed man of any part of his property, nor de- 

 prived the kid of a drop of milk. 



When the moon shines bright, you may have 

 a fair opportunity of examining the goatsucker. 

 You will see it close by the cows, goats, and 

 sheep, jumping up every now and then, under 

 their bellies. Approach a little nearer, he is not 



