nino_ (the child
bird). It is easily tamed, becomes very social, and follows its master
like a dog. It is amusing to see it waddling along with its plump body
and short legs, and keeping itself in equilibrium by moving its floating
wings. I had one completely tame, which I bought from an Indian. It was
named _Pepe_, and it answered readily to the name. When I was at my
meals he regularly placed himself beside my chair, and at night he slept
under my bed. When he wished to bathe he went into the kitchen and beat
with his bill on an earthen pan until somebody threw water over him, or
brought him a vessel full of water for a bath.

I brought away a few of the marine birds which appeared the most
remarkable. Among them was the banded cormorant (_Carbo Gaimardi_,
Less.). On the back it is grey, marbled by white spots; the belly is
fine ash-grey, and on each side of the throat there runs a broad white
stripe or band. The bill is yellow and the feet are red. The iris is
peculiar; I never saw its like in any other bird. It changes throughout
the whole circle in regular square spots, white and sea-green. Thousands
of the spotted gannet (_Sula variegata_, Tsch.) inhabit the rocks of the
island of San Lorenzo. This bird is the greatest producer of guano. The
inca tern (_Sterna luca_, Less.) is without doubt the finest of the
whole tern family. The color of the head is brown-grey; getting darker
towards the tail, and brighter on the lower body. From the root of the
bill on either side there shoot out some white feathers slightly
curving, so that they give the appearance of white moustachios. Among
the land birds are some very fine colibri (_Trochilus Amazilia_, and
_Tr. Cora_, Less.). The horse-protector (_Crotophaga sulcata_, Swains.)
is a singular animal. It is about the size of a starling, with a short,
compressed and curved bill, having several deep furrows along its sides.
The tail is long and fan-shaped. The whole body is of a deep blue color,
with a slight metallic brightness. The bird is very social with cattle
of all kinds, and more particularly with horses. It is fond of perching
on the back of a horse or an ass, and searching for insects which it
finds there in abundance. These animals are very sensible of the service
thus rendered to them, and by the manner in which they move about when
the bird is perched on their heads or necks, show how much they are
gratified by its presence.

Foreigners, when they visit the coast