of gigantic rushes, and the golden _arundinaria_--the
bamboo, and "cana brava,"--that rival the forest trees in height.

Many a form of animal life we may behold. Basking in the sun, we may
behold the yellow and spotted body of the jaguar--a beautiful but
dreaded sight. Breaking through the thick underwood, or emerging slowly
from the water, we may catch a glimpse of the sombre tapir, or the
red-brown capivara. We may see the ocelot skulking through the deep
shade, or the margay springing upon its winged prey. We may see the
shaggy ant-bear tearing at the cones of sand-clay, and licking up the
white termites; or we may behold the scaly armadillo crawling over the
sun-parched earth, and rolling itself up at the approach of danger. We
may see human-like forms,--the _quadrumana_--clinging among the high
branches, and leaping from tree to tree, like birds upon the wing; we
may see them of many shapes, sizes, and colours, from the great howling
monkeys, with their long prehensile tails, down to the little saimiris
and ouistitis not larger than squirrels.

What beautiful birds, too!--for this forest is their favourite home.
Upon the ground, the large curassows, and guans, and the "gallo," with
his plumage of bright red. Upon the trees, the macaws, and parrots, and
toucans, and trogons. In the waters, the scarlet flamingoes, the
ibises, and the tall herons; and in the air, the hawks, the zamuros, the
king-vultures, and the eagles.

We shall see much of the reptile world, both by land and water. Basking
upon the bank, or floating along the stream, we may behold the great
water lizards--the crocodile and caiman; or the unwieldy forms of the
_cheloniae_--the turtles. Nimbly running along the tree-trunk, or up
the slanting lliana, we may see the crested iguana, hideous to behold.
On the branches that overhang the silent pool we may see the
"water-boa," of huge dimensions, watching for his prey--the peccary, the
capivara, the paca, or the agouti; and in the dry forest we may meet
with his congener the "stag-swallower," twined around a tree, and
waiting for the roebuck or the little red-deer of the woods.

We may see the mygale, or bird-catching spider, at the end of his strong
net-trap, among the thick foliage; and the tarantula, at the bottom of
his dark pitfall, constructed in the ground. We may see the tent-like
hills of the white ants, raised high above the surface, and the nests of
many other kinds, hanging from h