26 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



part of the wing — feathers, and tail, were very dark brown ; the under 

 part of the wings and tail a lighter brown, the feathers darkest in the 

 middle. The back, scapulge, breast, and belly, had a reddish-buff 

 colour, or light pink ; the back had a tinge of yellow with it. The legs 

 were scaly and flesh-coloured ; it had three toes forward and one 

 behind, all slender and unconnected ; the tail was moderately long, 

 biforked with six rounded feathers, and rather drooped ; the points of 

 the wings rising considerably above it ; in each wing were nine pennated 

 feathers. The habits of the bird were familiar and confident; it lived 

 for some time on boiled rice, but died shortly after eating a quantity 

 raw. It seemed very sensible of cold in that latitude ; and had probably 

 come from a warmer one. We thought it a species of Procellaria, or 

 Mother Gary's chicken, but in several points differing from the com- 

 mon one. 



Reclining once upon a hen-coop, I observed a very small black 

 spot in the atmosphere, at an immense height above me. After pointing 

 it out to some of my companions, we procured glasses, and perceived 

 that it was one of the large species of Man-of-war birds, and that he 

 was standing toward the North-east. On referring to the Chart we 

 found that the nearest land to him was the small rock of St. Paul, near to 

 the line, and that there was no other land within the distance of seven 

 hundred miles. From his flying so high, we judged that he was in 

 search of a resting-place rather than of prey, and was actually pursuing 

 his rout across the Atlantic. The practice of shooting at sea-birds, when 

 within reach, for the mere purpose of hitting and leaving them wounded 

 to perish in the water, by protracted hunger, adopted by some idle 

 passengers as diversion, appears to me one of the most wanton acts of 

 cruelty that a man can be guilty of I have always thought that it 

 indicated a bad disposition; and whenever I have had an opportunity 

 afterwards of observing the man he has generally turned out a bad one. 



In the latitude of 34° South, and fully two hundred miles from the 

 land, we found the rigging covered, one morning, with a multitude 

 of small insects ; some of them very beautiful. We had no doubt of 



