The native animals of Guiana arc not yet fully ascertain ed ; and its unexplored forests contain, in all probability, many animated beings, which are but very imperfectly known to the zoologist. Many of the domestic animals, the bull, the cow, the ass, the hog, the sheep, &c. have been imported from the old continent; and some of these, having escaped into the woods, have run wild and multi plied rapidly. Most of them, however, have greatly de generated both in size and in flesh, in consequence, it is conjectured, of the perpetual perspiration to which they are exposed, and the coarseness of the grass on which they feed. The sheep, particularly, are remarkably diminutive, and their wool converted into straight hair. The hogs, on the contrary, are large and fat, and superior to those of Europe. The goats are large and beautiful' animals, common in all parts of the country ; often kept on the plan tations, where they breed quickly, and yield much milk. The poultry are as plentiful and excellent as in any part of the world. A smaller species of domestic hen, with rump led or inverted feathers, is reared by the natives in the in land parts of the country, and is considered as natural to Guiana.
The beasts of prey, which abound in the forests of this country, though numerous, are not remarkably formidable to the human race. The most powerful is the tiger, of which there are several kinds; the jaguar, which resem bles the African species, and sometimes measures six feet from the nose to the root of the tail, is very strong and fe rocious, frequently attacking the cows, horses, and young negroes on the plantations ; the couquar, or red tiger, re sembling a grey hound in shape, but larger in size, and equally fierce as the last mentioned ; and the tiger cat, a beautiful creature, not much larger than the domestic cat of Europe, but destructive and untameable like the rest of its kind. This is a ferocious little creature, called the crabbo•dago, not much larger than a common cat, and sup posed to be the same with what Buffon calls the grison or grey weasel, which is never glutted with blood, but mur ders whatever comes in its way, whether quadrupeds, fowls or reptiles, if it is able to vanquish them. There are vari ous kinds of monkeys, but no apes in Guiana. The natives affirm, that the ouran-outang, five feet in height, is found in the woods, but no European has ever seen any of these animals in the country. Of the others, the most remark able are, the quato, which has a naked face, a nose like that of a negro, deeply sunken eyes, large cars, and, ex cepting its long tail, beat s a great resemblance to the hu man form ; the howling baboon, which is about the size of a small bull dog, has a long black beard, and is chiefly re markable for assembling in large crowds, and uttering a most disagreeable howl or yell, which is continued for a long time, and which is said to be a sure sign of approach ing rain; and the saccawinkee, or schacomingky, some times called the lion monkey, a small and delicate creature, only about five or six ounces in weight, which perches like a bird upon the forefinger, and is frequently brought down to the plantations by the natives for sale, has a small head, round smooth cars, oval face covered with fine white hair, a tail much longer than its body, long bushy black hair, especially around its neck, like the mane of a lion, is ex tremely susceptible of cold, and though frequently tamed, seldom lives longer than a few months. The coatimondi
or Brasilian weasel, shaped like a dog, often as large as a fox, and resembling that animal in cunning, is a great de stroyer of the poultry : and, equalling the monkies in the faculty of climbing trees, commits great ravages among bird nests. One of the most extraordinary animals in Guiana is the great ant•bcar, which often weighs from 150 to 200 lbs. and measures not less than eight feet from the snout to the tip of the tail. It has a small head, covered with hair as soft as velvet, and a tail immensely large, flat, and covered with long hair like that of a horse, and as strong as the bristles of a hog, with which, during a shower, or when attacked, or when asleep, he protects his whole body. His feet are armed with long claws, with which he can de fend himself against any dog, and even against the tiger, and never quits his hold while he has life. He has a long slender tongue, resembling a worm, sometimes almost two feet in length, and moistened with saliva of a sweetish taste, which he thrusts into the ants' nests, who settle upon it in crowds, when he draws it into his mouth, renewing the operation till no more are to be found. There are found in Guiana the porcupine, the armadillo, the sloth, several kinds of opossum, wood rats, and hedge-hogs.
There are fwo kinds of deer, the largest of which, called bajew, are about the size of an English buck, and feed in great numbers, in the savannahs ; the smaller species, called wirrebocerra, are remarkably nimble, have no horns, and make the most delicate venison. The paccarara, or Indian coney, is common in all parts of Guiana, and greatly resem bles the hare in shape and size ; is very prolific, and easily taken ; and its flesh, which is much like that of a rabbit, forms a principal part of the food of the natives. There are several kinds of wild hogs in the forests, particularly the pingos, or wuree, resembling small English hogs, found in herds of 300 or more, running always in a line, and easily knocked on the head. A larger kind, called eras pingos, are armed with strong tusks, and, when wounded or obstructed in their course, become extremely ferocious. But both these kinds are-supposed to be merely the domes tic.hog of Africa or Europe in a wild state; and the only species indigenous in Guiana, is the piccaree, or Mexican hog, which is about 3 feet in length, without either tusks or tail, and is particularly remarkable, from having on its hack, above the hind legs, a cavity about an inch deep, filled with a white fetid fluid, which, unless cut out as soon as the animal is killed, infects the whole flesh, so as to render it unfit for being used as food. They are found in large herds in the drier and mountainous parts of the country ; and their flesh is greatly admired by the natives. There is a great variety of lizzards, of which the most remarkable is the guava, about three feet in length, and generally found among the shrubs and fruit trees. Its eggs, which are de posited in the sand, are reckoned excellent food ; and its flesh particularly is esteemed a great delicacy, resembling in taste that of a chicken.