SOUTH AMERICA. 45 

 The spur-winged plover, and a species of the curlew, First 



Journey. 



black, with a white bar across the wings, nearly as large 



again as the scarlet curlew on the sea-coast, frequently rise 

 before you. Here, too, the Moscovy duck is numerous ; 

 and large flocks of two other kinds wheel round you as 

 you pass on, but keep out of gunshot. The milk-white 

 Egrets, and Jabirus, are distinguished at a great distance ; 

 and in the ^ta and Coucourite trees, you may observe 

 flocks of scarlet and blue Aras feeding on the seeds. 



It is to these trees that the largest sort of Toucan ThcToncan. 

 resorts. He is remarkable by a large black spot on the 

 point of his fine yellow bill. He is very scarce in Deme- 

 rara, and never seen except near the sea-coast. 



The ants' nests have a singular appearance on this Ants' nests, 

 plain ; they are in vast abundance on those parts of it free 

 from water, and are formed of an exceeding hard yellow 

 clay. They rise eight or ten feet from the ground, in a 

 spiral form, impenetrable to the rain, and strong enough 

 to defy the severest tornado. 



Tlie wourali poison, procured in these last-mentioned 

 huts, seemed very good, and proved afterwards to be very 

 strong. 



There are now no more Indian settlements betA^xt you Portuguese 



1 1 -Ti i n • Tr. . ■, . frontiers. 



and the rortuguese frontiers. If you wish to visit their 

 fort, it would be advisable to send an Indian with a letter 

 from hence, and wait his return. On the present occasion 

 a very fortunate circumstance occurred. The Portuguese 



