THE CARACARÀ, or CARRANCHO.
Kindred, and allies of the crows, are birds which the Spaniards call caracarà, or carrancho. Their body is of a yellowish grey colour, but spotted with yellow and white. They are about the size of a hen, and resemble a hawk in their head, hooked bill, eyes, long claws, and long tail. They feed upon carcasses, like crows, and do a great deal of mischief amongst hens and other birds. Their flesh is of no use.
VARIOUS KINDS OF HAWKS.
Caracaràs are followed by kirikirì, different kinds of hawks, spotted with various colours. Amongst them are the common hawk, the goshawk, or gerfalcon, &c.
Of owls, the commonest are those which the Spaniards call lechuza, and the horned owl, which the Spaniards call mochuelo. Bats are of various kinds, and very common, as shall be shown hereafter.
THE GOOSE.
Water-fowl are so numerous, and of such various kinds, that it would fill a volume to describe them properly; I shall therefore only speak of some of them. I have, though very seldom, met with an immense number of geese like those of Europe in lakes. But of ducks there is such a variety and number, not only in the lakes but in the rivers also, that their dung defiles the water so as to render it unfit to be drunk.
VARIOUS KINDS OF DUCKS.
Ducks, clothed with black and white feathers, are extremely numerous, and pass the day in the water, and the night in trees close by it. They are most easily and frequently shot out of the water. Their young, when removed to towns, seldom become tame. Other ducks, which the Abipones call roakabì, have feathers of various colours, and beautifully red feet. Small ducks, called by the Abipones ruililiè, flit about together at night, making a loud hissing, and are believed by the Abipones to be spirits of the dead. The most remarkable are certain middle-sized ducks, of a beautiful rose colour from the head to the tail, but their natural ill smell annoys the nostrils of all who approach them, as much as the beauty of their plumage delights beholders. Under the beautiful feathers of their wings and the rest of their body, (of which not only the plume, but the quill, which we use to write with, is tinged with a deep red colour,) is concealed skin, bone, and a very scanty portion of most stinking flesh. They are slenderer than geese's quills, and are used by the Abipones to adorn and crown their heads.