318 THE CAMPOS. 



the country people prepare their farina. It is about a foot 

 in diameter, and stands edgewise upon the branch or crotch 

 of a tree. Among the smaller birds are bright tanagers, and 

 a species resembling the canary. Humming-birds are scarce, 

 though here and there a few appear ; while countless numbers 

 of parrots and parrakeets fly overhead in dense crowds, at 

 times drowning every other sound with their noisy clatter. 



Birds of prey are not wanting. Among them is the red 

 hawk, alio ut the size of a kite — and so tame, that even when 

 a canoe passes under the branch on which lie is sitting, he 

 does not fly away. 



Among the most striking are the gallinaceous birds. The 

 commonest is the cigana, to be seen in groups of fifteen or 

 twenty perched on trees overhanging the water, and feeding 

 upon berries. At night they roost in pairs ; but in the day- 

 time are always in larger companies. In appearance they 

 have something of the character of both the pheasant and 

 peacock, and yet do not closely resemble either. With the 

 exception of some small partridge-like gallinaceous birds, the 

 representatives of this family in Brazil belong to types which 

 do not exist in any other parts of the world. Here the 

 curassow, the jacu, the jacami, and the unicorn resemble as 

 much the bustard and other ostrich-like birds as the hen and 

 pheasant. 



The most numerous insects to be met with are dragon- 

 flies ; some with crimson bodies, black beads, and burnished 

 wings ; others with large, green bodies, crossed by blue bands. 



THE CAMPOS. 



Although the forests cover generally the whole length and 

 breadth of the Amazonian Valley, there are here and there, 



