TO CAPE FRIO. 



73 



inclining to lead-grey, without spots. These animals are very diffi- 

 cult to catch, for on the slightest noise they retire into their holes. 

 I therefore adopted the mode of killing them with small shot. They 

 are a chief article of food among the Brazilians, whose indolence 

 often goes so far, that when fish are scarce they subsist on this 

 diet, which we found to be wretched. Among the bushes on the 

 sand I frequently saw two different kinds of lizards ; the larger of 

 wdiich has a green back and spotted sides. Here I also obtained the 

 skin of a gigantic serpent, the boa constrictor. Daudin erroneously 

 mentions Africa alone as the natiye country of this reptile ; whereas 

 it is the most common of the Brazilian species of the genus boa. 

 Most of the varieties of this genus are known on the east coast by 

 the name ofjiboya. 



Our host promised to send the large collection we had already- 

 made, and which had been greatly increased at Cape Frio, to Rio de 

 Janeiro. We however soon found reason to distrust the importunate 

 civilities of this man ; for it appeared that he was actuated by ex- 

 treme selfishness, which went so far, that he even made us give him 

 a certificate of the important services he had rendered us. We were 

 equally unfortunate in our acquaintance with the apothecary, a per- 

 sonage who at first seemed to take great interest in our operations, 

 and to whom we gave credit for some education. We soon disco- 

 vered, however, that his intellects were none of the brightest ; and 

 though we at first only pitied his weakness, yet we were at length 

 obliged to treat him in a more serious manner, as he circulated 

 several reports to our prejudice in the villa ; for which, as we after- 

 wards learned, he was punished by the police with a confinement of 

 some days. 



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