SOUTH AMERICA. 



123 



proportion of gum arabic to make it adhesive ; then take Second 



Journey. 



a camel-hair brush, and give the inside of both mandi- 



bles a coat ; apply a second when the first is dry, then 

 another, and a fourth to finish all. The gum arabic will 

 prevent the chalk from cracking and falling olF. If you 

 remember, there is a little space of transparent white in 

 the lower mandible, which originally appeared blue, but 

 which became transparent white as soon as the thin 

 piece of blue skin was cut away ; this must be painted 

 blue inside. When all this is completed, the bill will 

 please you ; it will appear in its original colours. Pro- 

 bably your own abilities will suggest a cleverer mode of 

 operating than the one here described. A small gouge 

 would assist the penknife, and render the operation less 

 difficult. 



The Houtou ranks high in beauty amongst the birds The Hou- 

 of Demerara ; his whole body is green, with a bluish *°"* 

 cast in the wings and tail ; his crown, which he erects at 

 pleasure, consists of black in the centre, surrounded with 

 lovely blue of two different shades : he has a triangular 

 black spot, edged with blue, behind the eye, extending 

 to the ear ; and on his breast a sable tuft, consisting 

 of nine feathers edged also with blue. This bird seems 

 to suppose that its beauty can be increased by trim- 

 ming the tail, which undergoes the same operation 

 as our hair in a barber's shop, only with this differ- 

 ence, that it uses its own beak, which is serrated, in 



r2 



