SOUTH AMERICA. 139 

 He is nearly the size of the scarlet Ara, but much Second 



JoURNKY, 



inferior in plumage. Blue and yellow are his predominant 



colours. , 



Along the creeks and river sides, and in the wet 



savannas, six species of the Bittern will engage your 



attention. They are all handsome. The smallest not so 



large as the English water-hen. 



In the savannas too, you ^vill sometimes surprise the The snow- 

 white 



snow-white Egrette, whose back is adorned with the Eg'-ette. 

 plumes from which it takes its name. Here too the spur- 

 winged Water-hen, the blue and green Water-hen, and 

 two other species of ordinary plumage, are found. While 

 in quest of these, the blue Heron, the large and small 

 brown Heron, the Boatbill, and Muscovy Duck, now and 

 then rise up before you. 



When the sun has sunk in the western woods, no longer 

 agitated by the breeze ; when you can only see a straggler 

 or two of the feathered tribe hastening to join its mate, 

 already at its roosting place, then it is that the Goat- The Goat- 

 sucker comes out of the forest, v/here it has sat all day 

 long in slumbering ease, unmindful of the ga)^ and busy 

 scenes around it. Its eyes are too delicately formed to 

 bear the light, and thus it is forced to shun the flaming 

 face of day, and wait in patience till night invites him to 

 partake of the pleasures her dusky presence brings. 



The harmless, unoffending Goatsucker, from the time of 

 Aristotle down to the present day, has been in disgrace 



