Animals in the Bay of Callao. 1765 



Peruvians call it paxaro nino, or ' child-bird.' It is easily tamed, becomes very social, 

 and follows its master like a dog. It is amusing to see it waddling along with its 

 plump body and short legs, and keeping itself in equilibrium by moving its floating 

 wings. I had one completely tame, which I bought from an Indian. It was named 

 Pepe, and it answered readily to the name. When I was at my meals he regularly 

 placed himself beside my chair, and at night he slept under my bed. When he 

 wished to bathe he went into the kitchen and beat with his bill on an earthen 

 pan until somebody threw water over him, or brought him a vessel full of water for a 

 bath. 



" I brought away a few of the marine birds which appeared the most remarkable. 

 Among them was the banded cormorant (Carbo Gaimardi, Less.). On the back it is 

 gray, marbled by white spots ; the belly is fine ash-gray, and on each side of the 

 throat there runs a broad white stripe or band: the bill is yellow and the feet are red : 

 the iris is peculiar, I never saw its like in any other bird ; it changes throughout the 

 whole circle in regular square spots, white and sea-green. Thousands of the spotted 

 gannet (Sula variegata, Tsch.) inhabit the rocks of the island of San Lorenzo. This 

 bird is the greatest producer of guano. The inca tern (Sterna luca, Less.) is without 

 doubt the finest of the whole tern family. The colour of the head is brown-gray, get- 

 ting darker towards the tail, and brighter on the lower body. From the root of the 

 bill on either side there shoot out some white feathers, slightly curving, so that they 

 give the appearance of white mustachios. Among the land birds are some very fine 

 colibri (Trochilus Amazilia and T. cora, Less.). The horse-protector (Crotophaga sul- 

 cata, Swains.) is a singular animal. It is about the size of a starling, with a short 

 compressed and curved bill, having several deep furrows along its sides : the tail is 

 long and fan-shaped: the whole body is of a deep blue colour, with a slight metallic 

 brightness. The bird is very social with cattle of all kinds, and more particularly 

 with horses. It is fond of perching on the back of a horse or an ass and searching for 

 insects, which it finds there in abundance. These animals are very sensible of the ser- 

 vice thus rendered to them, and by the manner in which they move about when the bird 

 is perched on their heads or necks, show how much they are gratified by its presence. 



" Foreigners, when they visit the coast of Peru for the first time, are much sur- 

 prised at the immense number of birds of the vulture species which they meet with 

 about the roads and on the roofs of the houses. In Callao and in all other ports, 

 the Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura, Illig.) is frequently seen. It is called by the 

 Spaniards gallinazo a cabeza Colorado, or ' red-headed vulture.' Further in the in- 

 terior of the country it is frequently seen, though there it is less common than the 

 black gallinazo (Cathartes f ceteris, Illig.). The colour of the former is dark brownish- 

 black ; the unplumed head and throat are red ; the throat is full of wrinkles and warts. 

 The latter is very like it in size and colour, only the head and neck are grayish-black. 

 These birds are the size of a turkey-cock ; but they are lanker and more angular in 

 form. The black-headed gallinazo is inactive, heavy, and seldom flies far. When 

 seeking food he hops about on the ground in short regular springs. When he wishes 

 to move faster forward he helps himself with his wings, but without flying. Its cry is 

 seldom heard, and never long continued. At noon, sometimes from sixty to eighty of 

 these birds perch themselves on the tops of the houses or on the adjoining walls, and 

 with the head under the wing they all go to roost. They are extremely voracious, and 

 devour every sort of animal substance they can find, however filthy it may be. They 

 are not in the least degree shy, for they hop about among men and cattle in the most 



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