The Delta of the Parana 179 



and are inhabited by a single pair of birds. Successive nests 

 are added, until some of them come to weigh a quarter of a 

 ton, and contain enough material to fill a large cart. Thorny 

 twigs, firmly interwoven, form the only material, and there 

 is no lining in the breeding-chambers, even in the breeding 

 season. Some old forest-trees have seven or eight of these 

 huge structures suspended from the branches, while the 

 ground underneath is covered with twigs and remains of 

 fallen nests. The entrance to the chamber is generally 

 underneath, or, if at the side, is protected by an overhanging 

 eave to prevent the intrusion of opossums. . . . Repairs 

 are carried on all the year round, but new nests are only 

 added at the approach of spring. Opossums are frequently 

 found in one of the higher chambers when the entrance has 

 been made too high, but, though they take up their abode 

 there, they cannot reach the other chambers, and the 

 parrakeets refuse to go away. 



I attempted to get nearer to the flock and cautiously 

 made my way toward the tree upon which they were 

 climbing about, but they did not fancy my approach, 

 though I had no evil purpose in wishing to get nearer 

 to them. No doubt taught by sad experience that men 

 are to be feared, they suddenly with loud cries rose into 

 the air and wheeling in their flight betook themselves to 

 another dead tree, which stood far off in the clearing and 

 to which it would have been vain for me to attempt to 

 follow them across muddy ditches and through thorny 

 tangles. While I was engaged in stalking the parra- 

 keets and chasing insects, the botanist was happy to 

 discover upon the mossy trunks of some half-dead 

 trees colonies of curious epiphytes. He found several 

 orchids, of which he possessed himself, removing them 

 together with the damp bark to which they were 

 adherent. I hope that they lived, and have since then 

 bloomed. 



