and as yet was not grown up
again, though the young reeds were making their appearance like a field
of green wheat. Some places, and especially near the river, the ground
was still bare. This change in the landscape was quite agreeable to our
travellers; so much so, that they resolved to exercise their limbs by
taking a short stroll; and, having finished their late dinner they set
out. They all went together, leaving the balza and camp to take care of
themselves.

After walking a few hundred yards their ears were assailed by a confused
noise, as if all the animals in the forest had met and were holding a
_conversazione_. Some low bushes prevented them from seeing what it
meant, but on pushing their way through, they saw whence and from what
sort of creatures the noise proceeded.

Standing out in the open ground was a large and tall juvia-tree. Its
spreading branches were loaded with great globes as big as human
heads--each one, of course, full of delicious nuts. These were now ripe,
and some of them had already fallen to the ground.

Upon the ground an odd scene presented itself to the eyes of our
travellers. Between birds and animals assembled there, there were not
less than a dozen kinds, all as busy as they could be.

First, then, there were animals of the rodent kind. These were pacas,
agoutis and capivaras. The pacas were creatures a little larger than
hares, and not unlike them, except that their ears were shorter. They
were whitish on the under parts, but above were of a dark brown colour,
with rows of white spots along each side. They had whiskers like the
cat, consisting of long white bristles; and their tails, like those of
hares, were scarcely visible. The agoutis bore a considerable
resemblance to the pacas. Like these, they are also rodent animals, but
less in size; and instead of being spotted, they are of a nearly uniform
dark colour mixed with reddish brown.

Both pacas and agoutis are found in most parts of tropical America.
There are several species of each, and with the chinchillas and
viscachas already described, they occupy the place in those regions that
the hares and rabbits do in northern climates. Indeed, European settlers
usually know them by the names of hare or rabbit, and hunt them in the
same way. The flesh of most species is very good eating, and they are
therefore much sought after both by the natives and colonists.

Along with these, near the juvia-tree, were several capivaras, al