Ch.V. south AMERICA. 245 



picos, &c. And with regard to thefe, the air may be 

 faid to vie with the fertility of the earth. 



Among the birds I muft not omit one of a very 

 fingular kind, and found all over the country. The 

 natives call thefe birds difpercadores, awakeners, from 

 their giving notice to others of the approach of any 

 danger. On hearing the noife of the approach of any 

 creature whether man or beaft, or feeing them within a 

 fmall diftance, they rife from the ground, and make 

 a loud chattering not unlike that of a magpye ; con- 

 tinuing the noife, and flying about in the air over the 

 objedt which caufed the alarm. This is underftood 

 by the birds thereabouts, who immediately rife, and 

 by that means efcape the danger. 



This bird is about the fize of a middling fowl, its 

 plumage black and white, has a thick neck, the head 

 fomething large, ered, and beautifully adorned with 

 a tuft of feathers ; its eyes are large, fliarp and lively ; 

 its bill well proportioned, ftrong, and a little curved. 

 On the fore part of their wings are two fpurs, about 

 an inch in length, of a reddlfh tin6t towards the root, 

 and their points refembling thofe of a cock, being 

 very hard and fharp. Thefe are the weapons they 

 make ufe of againft the other birds, particularly 

 thofe of prey, as hawks, and others of that kind, which 

 probably abound the more in this country, from the 

 great variety of prey it affords them. 



Among the fmging birds is the goldfinch, in every 

 particular refembling thofe of Spain, except a fma)! 

 variation in its plumage. There are befides others 

 proper to this country, and met with in all the cold 

 climates, particularly the piches, which are fomething 

 larger than fparrows. They are of a brown colour, 

 fpotted with black, except their breaft, which is of a 

 moft beautiful red, and fome feathers of the fame co- 

 lour in their wings, intermixed with others of a bright 

 yellow. Amidit all the fertility of this country, the 

 only infefts are the niguas or piques : and tho' fome 



R 3 fnakes 



