84 THE ADVENTURES OF 



number of small mammals — jerboas, shrew-mice,, dormice, and 

 field-mice, which ravage the farmer's crops. You will recollect 

 that the owl, amongst the ancient Greeks, was the bird of 

 Minerva ; with the Aztecs, it represents the goddess of evil. 



A little way from the spot where we lost sight of the mouse- 

 eater, there were some enormous holes, dug out by the tuzas* the 

 Mexican moles, so dreaded by agriculturists. This animal is 

 about the size of a kitten ; it lives in companies, and works 

 underneath the surface of the soil in a way very dangerous to 

 travellers, who suddenly find the ground sink in under their feet. 

 L'Encuerado, who was very fond of the flesh of the tuza, which 

 used to be sold in the Indian markets, placed himself in ambush 

 in the hopes of killing one. Five minutes had scarcely elapsed, 

 when we heard a gunshot, and the hunter made his appearance 

 with a rather ugly little animal, having a dark-brown coat, short 

 feet, ears and eyes almost- imperceptible, a mouth furnished with 

 formidable incisors, and on each side of its jaws a vast pouch 

 filled with earth. Lucien declared that he would never consent 

 to eat of this creature, and promised his share to I'Encuerado; 



Our attention was again attracted towards the forest by the 

 cries of five or six toucans, and again we set off in chase. These 

 birds are extremely suspicious, and their capricious^ flight almost 

 bafiles pursuit. I succeeded, however, in killing one ; the others 

 flew oflF, raising cries of anger. 



" How can they bear the weight of such an enormous beak?" 

 asked Lucien, who had run to pick up the bird, and was struck 

 with admiration at its beautiful green and yellow plumage. 



" Nature has made provision for that ; the enormous beak, 

 which seems so heavy, is composed of a very light porous 

 substance." 



" Then it cannot eat anything hard ? " 



"No; its flexible beak could not crush any unyielding sub- 

 stance, and it feeds on nothing but soft fruits ; and even these 

 it breaks up awkwardly. If we could have got near them, you 

 would have seen them plucking berries and tossing them in 

 the air, so as to catch them in their immense jaws." 

 * Saccophorus Mexicanus, 



