Spanish America, Vol. 1 (of 2)Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
History
Spanish America, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
Latin America -- Description and travel; Latin America -- History
The trees which afford timber in this province, are of every
variety. Tigers, wild cats, or loupcerviers, wolves, bears, foxes,
deer, goats, badgers, weazels, polecats, martins, squirrels,
rabbits, otters, and rats, are common in the forests, and usual
haunts of the respective species. The cojotl, the tlacojotl,
and three other species similar to dogs; the wild cat, called
ocotochtli; the cajopollin, resembling a mouse; the tozan, a
similar animal; the porcupine and ahuitzotl, an amphibious
creature; the mitzli, a sort of lion, without long hair; the
polutaca, a flying rat; the Mexican hog, the opossum, the
armadillo, the tapir, racoons, monkeys, and apes, are amongst the
most noted animals of Mexico, and the adjacent regions.
The birds of Mexico are numerous, and celebrated for the variety
and splendour of their plumage. Eagles, falcons, hawks, ravens of
two or three different kinds, of which one never touches carrion,
but subsists on corn; and another which follows the alligator, and
destroys her eggs; ducks, geese, swans, herons, quails, divers,
king-fishers, pelicans, pheasants, pea-hens, the mocking bird,
cardinals, humming bird, &c. &c. It would occupy a volume to
describe their peculiarities as well as their number. Mexico has
indeed been called the country of birds, celebrated for their song,
their beauty, and for their feathers, of which the Mexican pictures
were executed, and which had all the softness and brilliancy of oil
colours, and were so skilfully done, as to be distinguished only by
the touch; they having had the art of flattening them, in such a
manner, as to give them an appearance of the finest painting.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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