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Show INTERESTING SCENERY-REPTILES. 471 whole country in the valleys, as well as on the mountains, was covered with a lofty shady forest of magnificent trees, of every variety common to this climate, which, being refreshed by the late rains, were clad in the most brilliant verdure. The splendid plumage of the bright red baltimore, and the vermilion tanagra {Tanagra rubra) was very striking, amidst the dark foliage of the forest; the latter is here called the flax-bird, from its feeding on the buds of that plant. We listened with pleasure to the note of the cuckoo, which much resembles that of the European bird. We heard frogs and tree-frogs in the vicinity, and the whistle of some animal exactly like that of our yellow-striped salamander, and doubtless one of that family,* under the fallen trunks of the trees. I was much surprised, during these travels in North America, to meet with so few animals of the lizard kind, whereas tortoises were very numerous. There was only a single path along the bank from one plantation to another; all else was covered with a thick forest. There were wild, lonely valleys, with colossal tulip trees, and an undergrowth of papaw, which was now in flower; a carpet of ferns was spread on the ground in the dark shade, where a small clear stream meandered among the grasses and other plants. The dwellings of a few planters were scattered on the hills. In this wild and romantic valley I saw but few birds; and, in general, I remarked, in these woods on the Missouri, that far more birds lived in the vicinity of the plantations than in the recesses of the forest, an observation which is confirmed by Me Kenney, and of which I have spoken in my travels in Brazil. We saw no mammalia in these woods, though there are many squirrels ; the number of which, however, must have greatly decreased if what Bradbury says is true, that 2,000 of them had been shot in one hunting excursion. I unwillingly left a spot so interesting to the naturalist, especially as I had no agreeable conversation to expect on board the boat. My live bears attracted all the inhabitants * The knowledge of naturalists respecting reptiles or amphibia has been increased in a surprising manner of late years. The work now publishing by Messrs. Dumeril and Bibron, promises to be the most complete on the subject. A vast number of species has been formed, some of which are hardly capable of being sufficiently defined: thus, the authors of the above-mentioned excellent work seemed to have proceeded, in some cases, rather hastily. I will mention only one or two instances: vol. v., p. 88, I find in the synopsis, " Tupinambis monitor, Maxim., Prince of Wied;" whereas I never thought of calling the lizard in question Tupinambis. Vol. iii., p. 80, Alligator sclerops, and page 86 the same, where I am quoted in reference to two species of crocodile, though it is very certain that I could not observe in Brazil more than one species. In these two descriptions there is much confusion ; and in this respect we must also not follow Spix, who considered the varieties of age as distinct species. I could quote many other instances, if this were a proper place for such discussion. In the work of Messrs. Dumeril and Bibron there are likewise many mistakes with respect to the Brazilian reptiles described by me ; and it seems that the authors, like many other French naturalists, quote my descriptions of those animals without having read or even seen them, otherwise they would certainly have preferred my statement of the colour of the animals from the life, to a description of the faded specimens preserved in spirits, which are met with in the museums; or to the equally incorrect statements of Dr. Spix, who, it is well known, forgot to note the colour of thejanirnals when alive, and whose representations of them are likewise from specimens preserved in spirits. |