Those who wish to take an agatnma from South America to
Europe, will do it best when they make the passage in the spring,
and then the animal will live at least ah the summer through in
Europe; which may afford the naturalist and anatomist, sufficient
time and opportunities for making observations and discoveries
upon this' singular creative.
I hope it will not displease you to have read so much upon this
subject, considering that the camelon has been always esteemed as
one of the most extraordinary animals in the creation. ,
Concerning birds and quadrupeds, I shall only mention in this
letter, those on which I had a particular opportunity to make some
observations,.
In the wonderful chain of nature where the gradations of being
proceed regularly from the meanest earth worm, to the beautiful
butterfly, on which all the different shades of colour are so admirably
dispersed, that it seems not to be excelled ; yet to link them
to the higher degree of the winged tribe, nature has created the.
humming bird, of which to give a ju st idea, thelndians, who pay
little attention tb the beauties, of nature,, call it Collibri, which implies
the rays of the sun.
Among the many species, of humming birds which are already
known in Europe,there is one here which I do not jecoJleekesver)
having seen, neither in any cabinet, of Natural History, nor im the
presented to them; one I lost in the passage, which was occasioned, as the mate BJS,
, “ byoueoftbecrew-bavirrg trred his knife on him, and cut off one o f his legs,” tbe ibtlrer I
brought perfectly well to North America; and amongst the many gerit 1 emen who wished
to see it, one thought that he could explain the cause o f the apparent change of colour,
before he saw it supposing it to he nothing more than a reflection, like what appears
in a looking glass; but when h e saw how gradually the cblotirs vanished from one to
another, he expressed his surprise, and the insufficiency of bis hypothesis to account
for the phenomenon.
I brought this cameleon alive to Lisbon, where it died a week after ray arrival, when
the weather became wery cold -in the autumn.
splendid5 wori^ of Mr. Audebert. This I am speaking of sag not larger
than the smallest;species^butuming birds; .but it has a; bunch of
long;Ife#hftrs; oh; each side.Iofutfac neck >; this little creature is aof a
lightsbrown colour, andiis covered aH .over with smallI round spots
of a most brilliant ghining' green> Tberfsarse only.two .gnatlemeu
here,, who(are in possession of this species; .Mr.. j |Mi{tt.. n - the
British post-master has one* and MrvL~-Jk another, ami; both were
brought dfomtthe most interior -parts of the colony by Mn Bauer,
who carries on a. traffic with the .Indians, and if he can possibly .obtain
another^lie has. promised .tovlet- na^have i®!? th®relbre;till then,
be. SO' good as to accept of-the jitoawing ©fit in itsn a tu r a ls iz e and
colour, which I shall sendwith this ,leither,and as/the» spec*®6 has not
yet been named, I call it the Argus|Goilibri,die spots 0« its plumage
appearing, as bright as many ..eyes*
It is a prevalent opinion in Europe, , that wllilst thecountries
under the Tropics possess a great m any elegantlyiieoloure<l birds,
they are in want®j|ifine>sbngsters psjbut this must be taken with a
limitation. I t is true tbafcin tMs ^u®try mature «bs^ves the«ame
rules as in other regions* by denying a fine voice to most of those
birds which are splendidly dressed, while-she hasgivento these of a
more simple, robe, great musical talents«. The fittle bird which I have
already had occasion to* mention *■ as nestling under« my roof* and
called by jfche negroes Goda bird* delightful song. Thi.
South American mocking bird is of the same species ae those of
Morth America, which is in such high .reputation f©r its charming
notes; and j the Moravians say, that in the .in tepor parts of this, qoi
lony th^ie? is n ftae : singing bird, which they, prefer to^any^ they
ever heard, even to the European nightingale; there are also several
other species of small .birds; whose-song is very .harmonious. '
Amongst the remarkable?«'birds is-the rook of Surinam; it is of
the same size as that of Europe, but of a more slender shape ;itiS
black, with .a gloss of shining greenish blue; -its bill is strong, the