and fly two and two to their
place of rest. It is a grand sight in ornithology to see thousands of
aras flying over your head, low enough to let you have a full view of
their flaming mantle. The Indians find their flesh very good, and the
feathers serve for ornaments in their head-dresses. They breed in the
holes of trees, are easily reared and tamed, and learn to speak pretty
distinctly.

Another species frequents the low lands of Demerara. He is nearly the
size of the scarlet ara, but much 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 is not so large as the English water-hen.

In the savannas, too, you will sometimes surprise the snow-white egrette,
whose back is adorned with the 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 boat-bill,
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 goatsucker comes out of the forest, where it has sat all day
long in slumbering ease, unmindful of the gay 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 with man. Father has handed down
to son, and author to author, that this nocturnal thief subsists by
milking the flocks. Poor injured little bird of night, how sadly hast
thou suffered, and how foul a stain has inattention to facts put upon thy
character! Thou hast never robbed man of any part of his property, nor
deprived the kid of a drop of milk.

When the moon shines bright you may have a fair opportunity of examining
the goatsucker. You will see it close by the cows, goats, and sheep,
jumping up every now and then under their bellies. Approach a little
nearer--he is not shy, "he fears no danger, f