The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-04-11
A Solar Eclipse.

Professor ASassil had an opportunity Of
witnessing an eclipse Of the sun i'll Rio, and
Of making some observations on the action
OF animals under the novel circumstances.
The following extracts are from his notes:
:" he effect of the waning light on ami.
mails was very striking. The bay Of Rio is
daily trequented by large numbers Of frigatc,
birds and gannets, which at night fly to the
outer islands to roost, while the carrion,
crows (raGuS) swarmng in the suburbs,
and especially about the slaughter. houses OF
the city, retire to the mountains in the neigh.
borhood OF Tijuca, their line Of travel pass,
in5 over San Chrlstovao. AS soon as the
light began to diminish these birds became
uneasy; evidently concious that their day
was strangely encroached upon, they were
uncertain for a moment how to act. Pres
caliy, however, as the darkness increased,
they started for their usual night quarters,
the tcr-lirds flying souihward, the vul-
lures in 4 norhwcsterly dircciion and they
had all left their feeding grounds before the
moment Of greatest obscurity arrived. They
seemed 10 fly III all haste, but were not half
way 10 their night home when the light be
gan to return with rapidly increasing bright.
ness. Their confusion was now Mt its height.
Some continued their flight towards the
mountains or the harbor, others hurried
back to the city, while others whrled about.
wholly uncertain what to do next. The re-
establishment OF the full light of noon seem
ed to decide them, however, upon making
another day OF it, aud the whole crowd once
more moved steadily toward the city,
INCARNATE LAZlNEss.
" We have Il Slovcn on board the most
fascinating of all our pets to me-not GER
tainly for his charms but for his Oddities
| am never tired of watching him, he looks
80 deliciously lazy. His head sunk in his
arms. his whole attitude lax and Indifferent
lie seems to ask only for rest. If you push
him, or if, as often happens, passer-by
gives him Il smart tap to arouse him, he lifts
his head and drops his arms so slowly, so
deliberately, that they hardly seem to move,
raises his heavy lids, and lets his large eyes
rest upon your face for moment with APP
healing. hopeless indulgence; then the lids
fa, softly, the head droops, the arms fold
heavily about it, and he collapscs again into
absolute repose. This mute remonstrance
is the nearest opproach to activity have
seen him make
FLOATING ISLAND.
The quantity of detached grass, shrubs,
etc, carried past the vessel, as we lie here
at anchor, is umazing-noaling gardens,
sometimes half an acre in extent. Some OF
these green RATS are inhabited water birds
20 sailing by upon them, and large animals
go sailing by upon them, and large animals
are occasionally carried down the river in
this way. The commander told me that. on
one occasion, when AN English vessel was
living ut anchor in the Parana, one of these
Grassy gardens was seen coming down the
river with two deer upon it. The current
brought it directly against the ship, and the
captain had only to receive on board the
guests who arrived thus unexpectedly to de-
maud his hospitality. In the same river,
another floating island brought with it ii less
agreeable inhabitaut a large tiger had pos
sossed himself of It, and was sailing males
tically with the current, passing so near The
shores that he was distinctly seeu from the
banks; and people went out in montarIas &c
get nearer view Of him, though keeping
always at a respectful distance.
ForR.EYGD FISH.
Mr.. Agassiz was especially interested
in seeing alive, for the first time, the curious
fish called '1ralhotc by the Indians, ant
known to naturaIists as the Anableps tetroph
thamus This name, signiiying four
eyed, is derived from The singular structure
of the eye. 4 memlranous fold, enclosing
the bulb of the eye, stretches across tn
pupil, dividing the visual apparatus into al
upper and lower half. No doubt this for
nation is intended to suit the peculiar hab
its of the Anableps. These fishes gather il
shoals on the surface Of the water, thei
heads resting partly above, partly below tn
surface, and they move by E leaping motion
somewhat like frogs on land. Thus, half i
air, half in water, they require eyes adapte
for seeing in both elements, and the arrange
ment described above Just meets this want.