1848.] 
AQUATIC BIRDS. 
99 
inch in diameter, and beautifully marked and spotted 
with red. The Lake contains great quantities of them, 
and they are salted and dried for the Para market. It is 
a very fine-flavoured fish, the belly in particular being 
so fat and rich that it cannot be cured, and is therefore 
generally eaten fresh. This, with farinha and some coffee, 
made us an excellent supper, and the alligator’s tail, which 
I now tasted for the first time, was by no means to be 
despised. We soon turned into our hammocks, and slept 
soundly after the fatigue of the day. Jaguars were 
abundant, and had carried off some fish a night or two 
before; the alligators too were plunging and snorting 
within twenty yards of us : but we did not suffer such 
trifles to disturb our slumbers. 
Before daybreak I had my gun upon my shoulder, 
eager to make an attack upon the ducks and other 
aquatic birds which swarmed about the lake. I soon 
found plenty of them, and, my gun being loaded with 
small shot, I killed seven or eight at the first fire. They 
were very pretty little birds, with metallic-green and 
white wings, and besides forming good specimens, pro- 
vided us with an excellent breakfast. After the first 
discharge however they became remarkably shy, so I 
went after the roseate spoonbills, white herons, and 
long-legged plovers, which I saw on the other side : 
they also seemed to have taken warning by the fate of 
their companions, for I could not get near enough for a 
shot, as there was no means of concealing my approach. 
Wliat is called the Lake is a long, winding piece of 
water, from thirty to fifty yards wide and of little depth. 
It is bordered with aquatic plants and shrubs, and in 
H 2 
