1766 Quadrupeds. 



populous places. The turkey-vulture is far more lively, and its movements are more 

 light. It flies faster, and continues longer on the wing than the black-headed galli- 

 nazo. It is, however, more timid. It nestles in sandy rocks and uninhabited islands. 

 The female lays three or four whitish eggs, which are hatched in February and March. 

 The common gallinazo usually builds its nest on the tops of houses, churches, ruins, 

 and high walls. The female lays three or four eggs, which are whitish-brown and 

 speckled, and are hatched in the same months as the eggs of the turkey-vulture. 



"Among the Amphibia of Callao, the iguana and land agama are numerous. 

 Snakes abound in the low bushes at the mouth of the Rinac, and some kinds, which 

 are venemous, live on the arid sand-banks. All the sea-tortoises have been driven out 

 of the bay, and now inhabit the detached creeks of the uninhabited parts of the 

 coast. 



" The kinds of fish are numerous. Sharks, rays, balancers, corvinas, bonitos, &c, 

 are caught in abundance. Most of the corvinas and bonitos are carried to market. 

 The flesh of the latter is firm, dry, and less savoury than the corvina. The pexe-rey, 

 or ' king fish ' is superior in flavour to the pexe-sapo, or ' toad-fish,' which is a little 

 larger, and has a thick fleshy head. These fish are taken on rocks and under water, 

 where they are struck by a kind of harpoon-hooks and drawn out." — Tschudi's Travels 

 in Peru, 



Habits of a Bat in Confinement. — I think I mentioned to you a bat which I suc- 

 ceeded in taming; if the following particulars of it will afford you a few minutes' 

 amusement I shall be amply repaid for my trouble in communicating them to you. 

 The little creature was picked up late in the autumn of 1846, when insects began to 

 be scarce, apparently crippled from some accident, and from being the most irascible 

 little animal possible, it became by merely putting two or three small pieces of butter 

 into its mouth, all at once perfectly tame. It would follow a fly held between the fin- 

 gers ; crawl or hop across the table and upon our hands or arms with the greatest 

 effrontery. It would look as wistfully for food as though it had been brought up a 

 pet. One of our amusements was (before putting it into its box) to nip off part of the 

 wing of a living fly and watch his mode of attack, which was very tierce. If it missed 

 its aim, its next tactic was to use its long arm, to get it under its body : it would turn 

 and curl the membranous part of its tail inwards, forming a complete sack, into which, 

 if it succeeded in getting its prey, it would thrust its head for the purpose of capture. 

 But if, as it most frequently happened, the insect was only caught by a wing, then it 

 would most adroitly kick it into its mouth with one of its hinder feet, its fore-arm be- 

 ing too long for the purpose. It would eat wood-lice when its favourite food, flies, 

 could not be obtained ; but an earwig was its utter abomination, at which it would 

 set up the hair of its back, draw in its nose, and exhibit signs of extreme disgust. 

 When in a dormant state, it was soon revived by the warmth of the hand, or by being 

 brought near the fire ; or if the room was warm, it would soon let us know that it was 

 alive. If its revival was brought about by too hasty means, it would tremble violently 

 with strong palpitations, refusing for some time any proffered food, and evidently suf- 

 fered very much. When aroused it would generally eat about twenty flies (and the 

 larger sort it was equally fond of), preferring them to everything else. It was evident, 

 however, that nature required something else, as it remained poor, and made none of 



