Adventures of a Young Naturalist. Lucien Biart

Ed.

2

Encuerado, in Spanish, means both naked and clad in leather.

3

Two grotesque little phenomena were once shown in London and Paris as specimens of the Aztec race. When I speak of Aztecs, my young readers may perhaps think I allude to these dwarfs. I will therefore state, once for all, that this name is intended to apply only to the Indians, the descendants of the fine race over whom Montezuma was emperor when Cortez conquered them. By Mexicans, or Creoles, we mean the descendants of the Spanish race.

4

About threepence.

5

In the Aztec language, cihuatl signifies "woman," and cohuatl signifies "serpent."

6

The Indians that inhabit the vast plains to the north of Mexico all smoke; from this, doubtless, arises the usual supposition that all American Indians smoke. – Ed.

7

In giving utterance to this anathema, l'Encuerado was unknowingly agreeing with James I., king of England, who published a work against smokers.

8

The small tapering leaves of the pine are thus called.

9

Elytra is derived from a Greek word, ἑλυτρου, a sheath.

10

Thanks to the spheroidal condition of water, discovered by M. Boutigny (of Evreux).

11

That is, a plant devoid of lobes.