THE WILD. 



earnestness, and protracted for some seconds, and 

 gradually falling. The whole is given deliberately, 

 in a loud and hollow tone ; and one can scarcely 

 be persuaded that it comes from a bird. 



I have already alluded to the Guacharo, an ex- 

 traordinary bird inhabiting a very limited district 

 in the province of Cumana, South America, and 

 entirely confined to caverns. There is, however, 

 so much of romantic interest attached to its 

 habits, that we may glance at a few of the details 

 which Humboldt has given us from his own ex- 

 perience. On his arrival at the valley of Caripe, 

 the people all spoke with superstitious wonder of 

 a cavern several leagues in length, that gave birth 

 to a river, and was haunted by thousands of 

 night-birds, whose fat was used in the Missions 

 instead of butter. 



Humboldt made a party to explore this won- 

 drous cavern. After reaching the river which 

 flows out of it, they followed its course upwards 

 by a winding path, till at length the cave yawned 

 before them in all its grandeur. It is pierced in 

 the vertical side of a rock, forming a vault up- 

 wards of eighty feet in width, and nearly the 

 same in height. The face of the rock is clad with 

 gigantic trees, and all the luxuriant profusion of 

 tropical vegetation. Beautiful and curious para- 

 sitic plants, ferns, and orchids, and elegant creep- 

 ers and lianes, festooned the rugged entrance, 

 hanging down in wild drapery, and, what is re- 

 markable, this riant verdure penetrated for some 

 distance even into the cave. Humboldt beheld 

 with astonishment noble plantain-like heliconhv 

 eighteen feet high, palms, and arborescent arums, 

 following the course of the river even to the sub- 

 terranean parts. There the vegetation continues 

 as in the deep crevices of the Andes, half shut out 

 221 



