438 A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 

 it. Their wing alfo ferves them as a (hield, by 

 which they ward off blows without receiving any 

 hurt. 



The zumbador, or hummer, is a night bird, pe- 

 culiar to the mountainous deferts ; and they are fel- 

 dom feen, though frequently heard, both by the Ting- 

 ing and a ftrange humming made in the air by the 

 rapidity of their flight, and which may be heard at the 

 dillance of fifty toifes •, and when near, is louder than 

 that of a rocket. Their fmging may indeed be called 

 a kind of cry, refembling that of night-birds. In 

 moonlight nights, when they more frequently make 

 their appearance, we have often watched to fee their 

 fize and the celerity of their motion ; and though they 

 pafied very near us, we never were able to form any 

 idea of their magnitude ; all that we could fee, was 

 a white line which they formed in their flight through 

 the air ; and this was plainly perceivable, when at no 

 great diftance.. We promifed the Indians a reward 

 if they would procure us one 5 but all they could do 

 was to procure a young one, fcarce fledged, though 

 it was then of the fize of a partridge, and all over 

 fpeckled with dark and light brown ; the bill was 

 proportionate and fl;rait; the, aperture of the nofl:rils 

 much larger than ufual, the tail fmall, and the wings 

 of a proper fize for the body. According to our 

 Indians, it is with the noftrils that it makes fuch a 

 loud humming. This may, in fome meafure, con- 

 tribute to it ; but the eflxfd feems much too great for 

 fuch an inftrument; efpecially as at the time of the 

 humming it alfo ufes its voice. 



Among the vallies and plains formed by thefe 

 mountains, are many marfhy places, occafioned by the 

 great variety of fmall ftreams of water and in thefe 

 breed great numbers of a bird called canclon, a name 

 perfeclly expreffive of its manner of finging. It very 

 much refernbles the bandurria, though the fpecies 

 be different : it exceeds the bignefs of a large goofe, 

 ' : has 



