60 



MALDONADO. 



1832-3. 



frightened^ they uttered the tucu-tuco. Of those I kept 

 ahve^ several^ even the first day^ became quite tame^ not 

 attempting to bite or to run away ; others were a httle 

 wilder. 



The man who caught them asserted that very many are 

 invariably found blind. A specimen which I preserved in 

 spirits was in this state ; Mr. Reid considers it to be the 

 effect of inflammation in the nictitating membrane. When 

 the animal was alive I placed my finger within half an inch 

 of its head^ and not the slightest notice was taken : it made 

 its way^ however^ about the room nearly as well as the others. 

 Considering the subterranean habits of the tucutuco^ the 

 bhndness, though so frequent^ cannot be a very serious evil ; 

 yet it appears strange that any animal should possess an organ 

 constantly subject to injury. The mole, whose habits in 

 nearly every respect, excepting in the kind of food, are so 

 similar, has an extremely small and protected eye, which, 

 although possessing a limited vision, at once seems adapted 

 to its manner of life. 



Birds of many kinds are extremely abundant on the undu- 

 lating grassy plains around Maldonado. Several species, 

 of the genus Cassicus, allied to our starlings in habits 

 and structure, and of Tyrant-flycatchers, and a mocking- 

 bird, from their numbers, give a character to the ornithology. 

 Some of the Cassici are very beautiful, black and yellow 

 being the prevailing colours ; but Oriolus ruber, Gme., off'ers 

 an exception, in having its head, shoulders, and thighs of the 

 most splendid scarlet. This bird diff'ers from its congeners 

 in being solitary. It frequents marshes ; and, seated on the 

 summit of a low bush, with its mouth wide open, utters a 

 plaintive agreeable cry, which can be heard at a long dis- 

 tance. 



Another species,* of a purplish-black colour, with a me- 

 tallic lustre, feeds on the plain in large flocks, mingled 



* Le Troupiale commun of Azara (vol. ill., p. 169) — a second species 

 of Molothrus. 



