52 



A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 



observations on the action of animals under these novel 

 circumstances. The following extract is from his notes. 

 " The effect of the waning light on animals was very 

 striking. The bay of Rio is daily frequented by large num- 

 bers of frigate-birds and gannets, which at night fly to the 

 outer islands to roost, while the carrion-crows (uruhus) 

 swarming in the suburbs, and especially about the slaughter- 

 houses of the city, retire to the mountains in the neighbor 

 hood of Tijuca, their line of travel passing over San Christo- 

 vao. As soon as the light began to diminish, these birds 

 became uneasy ; evidently conscious that their day was 

 strangely encroached upon, they were uncertain for a mo- 

 ment how to act. Presently, however, as the darkness in- 

 creased, they started for their usual night quarters, the water- 

 birds flying southward, the vultures in a northwesterly di- 

 rection, and they had all left their feeding-grounds before the 

 moment of greatest obscurity arrived. They seemed to fly 

 in all haste, but were not half-way to their night home when 

 the light began to return with rapidly increasing brightness. 

 Their confusion was now at its height. Some continued 

 their flight towards the mountains or the harbor, others 

 hurried back to the city, while others whirled about wholly 

 uncertain what to do next. The re-establishment of the 

 full light of noon seemed to decide them, however, upon 

 making another day of it, and the whole crowd once more 

 moved steadily toward the city." 



The cordial interest shown by the Emperor in all the 

 objects of the present expedition is very encouraging to 

 Mr. Agassiz. So liberal a spirit in the head of the govern- 

 ment will make his own task comparatively easy. He has 

 also seen several official persons on business appertaining 

 to his scientific schemes. Everywhere he receives the 



