BANKS OF POOLS AND CREEKS 55 



an old plantation, where I ran about naked whilst my 

 clothes were being dried on a bush. The creek Iritiri 

 is not so picturesque as many others which I subsequently 

 explored. Towards the Magoary the banks at the edge 

 of the water are clothed with mangrove bushes, and 

 beneath them the muddy banks into which the long roots 

 that hang down from the fruit before it leaves the branches 

 strike their fibres, swarm with crabs. On the lower 

 branches the beautiful bird, Ardea helias is found. This 

 is a small heron of exquisitely graceful shape and mien ; 

 its plumage is minutely variegated with bars and spots 

 of many colours, like the wings of certain kinds of moths. 

 It is difficult to see the bird in the woods, on account of 

 its sombre colours, and the shadiness of its dwelling- 

 places ; but its note, a soft long-drawn whistle, often 

 betrays its hiding-place. I was told by the Indians that 

 it builds in trees, and that the nest, which is made of 

 clay, is beautifully constructed. It is a favourite pet- 

 bird of the Brazilians, who call it Pavao (pronounced 

 Pavaong), or peacock. I often had opportunities of ob- 

 serving its habits. It soon becomes tame, and walks 

 about the floors of houses picking-up scraps of food, or 

 catching insects, which it secures by walking gently to 

 the place where they settle, and spearing them with its 

 long, slender beak. It allows itself to be handled by 

 children, and will answer to its name * Pavao ! Pavao ! ' 

 walking up with a dainty, circumspect gait, and taking 

 a fly or beetle from the hand. 



We made several shorter excursions in the neighbour- 

 hood. There was a favourite young negro slave named 

 Hilario (anglicized to Larry), who took an interest in our 

 pursuit. He paddled me one day over the lake, where 

 we shot a small alligator and several Piosocas (Parra 

 Jacana), a waterfowl having very long legs and toes, 

 which give it the appearance of walking on stilts, as it 

 stalks about, striding from one water-lily leaf to another. 

 I was surprised to find no coleopterous insects on the 

 aquatic plants. The situation appeared to be as favour- 

 able for them as possibly could be. In England such a 

 richly-mantled pool would have yielded an abundance of 

 Donaciae, Chrysomelae, Cassidae, and other beetles ; here 

 I could not find a single specimen. Neither could I find 

 any water-beetles ; the only exception was a species of 

 Gyrinus, about the same size as G. natator, the little 



