Animals of the Great Forest. 



309 



Brazilian Hummers. 



uniform time for breeding. The majority, however, build 

 their nests between September and ]S"ew Year's, and rare- 

 ly lay more than two eggs. 



Amazonia, like Australia, is poor in teiTestrial mam- 

 mals, and the species are of small size. Nearly the only 

 game a hunter can depend upon for food, besides toucans 

 and macaws, is peccari. One species of tapir, to represent 

 the elephants and rhinoceroses of the Old World ; three 

 small species of deer, taking the places of deer, antelopes, 

 buffaloes, sheep, and goats of the other continent ; three 

 species of large Felidse ; one peccari, and a wild dog, with 

 opossums, ant-eaters, armadilloes, sloths, squirrels (the only 

 rodents which approach ours),* capybaras, pacas, agoutis, 

 and monkeys, comprise all the quadrupeds of equatorial 

 America. The last two are the most numerous. Marsu- 

 pial rats take the place of the insectivorous mammals. Of 

 ant-eaters, there are at least four distinct species ; but they 

 are scattered sparingly, and are seldom found on the low 



* Large rats abound on the ^laranon, but they are not American. 



