BIRDS, REPTILES, ETC. 195 



the Rocky Mountains — the herrcndo or an- 

 telope and the tuza or prairie dog of the 

 plains— hares, polecats, and other animals of 

 lesser hnportance, may also be considered as 

 denizens of these regions. 



Of wild birds, the water fowls are the most 

 numerous; the ponds and rivers being lite- 

 rally lined at certain seasons of the year Avith 

 myriads of geese, ducks, cranes, etc. In some 

 of the mountains, wild turkeys are very nu- 

 merous ; but partridges and quails are scarce. 

 There is to be found in Chihuahua and other 

 southern districts a very beautiful bird called 

 paisano (literally ' countryman'), wliich, when 

 domesticated, performs all the offices of a cat 

 m ridding the dwelling-houses of mice and 

 other vermin. It is also said to kill and de- 

 vour the rattlesnake ; a reptile, however, wdiich 

 seems much less vicious here than elsewhere. 

 Scorpions, tarantulas and centipedes also, al- 

 though found in tliis province, are almost harm- 

 less, and very httle dreaded by the natives. 

 Another indigenous reptile is the horned-frog 

 of the Prairies, known here by the name of ca- 

 maleon(oT chameleon), of wliich it is probably 

 a species, as its color has been observed to 

 vary a little in accordance with the character 

 of the soU it inhabits. 



The honey-lee would seem to have originat- 

 ed exclusively from the east, as- their march 

 has been obser\^ed Avestward, but none have 

 yet reached this portion of the Mexican do- 

 jnmion. According to ancient historians, dif- 

 ferent species were indigenous to the south of 



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