FOREST BIRDS. — SAN FERNANDS. 79 



the rocks and mountains, enlarge the domain of organic CHAP. viL 

 nature. The same lianas, which creep along the ground, Denseoess of 

 rise to the tops of the trees, and pass from the one to vegetation, 

 the other at a height of more than a hundred feet. In 

 consequence of this intermixture of parasitic plants, the 

 botanist is often led to confound the flowers, fruits, and 

 foliage, which belong to different species." 



The philosophers walked for some hours under the Nests of tiie 

 shade of these arches, which scarcely admitted an '"'"'^"^^ 

 occasional glimpse of the clear blue sky, and for the first 

 time admired the pendulous nests of the orioles, which 

 mingled their warblings with the cries of the parrots 

 and macaws. The latter fly only in pairs, while the 

 former are seen in flocks of several huudrt'ds. At the 

 distance of about a league from the village of San 

 Fernando they issued from the woods, and entered an 

 open country covered with aquatic plants from eight to 

 ten feet high ; there being no meadows or pastures in 

 the lower parts of the torrid zone as in Europe. The 

 road was bordered with a kind of bamboo rising more 

 than forty feet. These plants, according to Humboldt, 

 are less common in America than is usually supposed, 

 although they form dense woods in New Grenada and 

 Quito, and occur abundantly on the western slope of the 

 Andes. 



They now entered San Fernando, which is situated San Fer- 

 in a narrow plain, and bounded by limestone rocks, "undo. 

 This was the first missionary station they saw in Amer- 

 ica. The houses of the Chayma Indians were built of 

 clay, strengthened by lianas, and the streets were 

 straight, and intersected each other at right angles. 

 The great square in the centre of the village contains 

 the church, the house of the missionary, and another 

 destined for the accommodation of travellers, which 

 bears the pompous name of the king's house (Casa del 

 Rey). These royal residences occur in all the Spanish 

 settlements, and are of the greatest benefit in countries 

 where there are no inns. 



They had been recommended to the friars, who 



