WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 165 



species of wrens, a little before daylight. There are also 

 several specie^, of the thrush, which have a song somewhat 

 different from that of the European thrush; and two 

 species of the linnet, whose strain is so soft and sweet that 

 it dooms them to captivity in the houses. A bird called 

 here Sangre do Buey, blood of the ox, cannot fail to en- 

 gage your attention : he is of the passerine tribe, and very 

 common about the houses ; the wings and tail are black, 

 and every other part of the body a flaming red. In Guiana, 

 there is a species exactly the same as this in shape, note, 

 and economy, but different in colour, its whole body being 

 like black velvet ; on its breast a tinge of red appears 

 through the black. Thus nature has ordered this little 

 Tangara to put -on mourning to the north of the line, and 

 wear scarlet to the south of it. 



For three months in the year the environs of Pernam- 

 buco are animated beyond description. From November 

 to March the weather is particularly fine ; then it is that 

 rich and poor, young and old, foreigners and natives, all 

 issue from the city to enjoy the country, till Lent ap- 

 proaches, when back they hie them. Villages and hamlets, 

 where nothing before but rags was seen, now shine in all 

 the elegance of dress ; every house, every room, every shed 

 become eligible places for those whom nothing but extreme 

 necessity could have forced to live there a few weeks ago : 

 some join in the merry dance, others saunter up and down 

 the orange-groves ; and towards evening the roads become 

 a moving scene of silk and jewels. The gaming-tables 

 have constant visitors ; there, thousands are daily and 

 nightly lost and won ; parties even sit down to try their 

 luck round the outside of the door as well as in the 

 room : — 



" Vestibulum ante ipsum primisqiie in faucibu.'i aulae 

 Luctus et ultrices, posuere sedilia cxirae." 



