some Birds <>J Yucatan. 463 



strange cry, which I thought must proceed from some species 

 of monkey, from its sonorous character, sounding like a 

 human tenor voice, repeating the word how, or haou, some- 

 times once, and then many times in rapid succession ; when 

 suddenly I heard the flapping of wings ; and, looking out 

 over the surface of the water, I saw a bird, looking like a 

 heron, flying across the senote, directly toward me. I waited 

 till it got within reach, and shot him dead. Almost before 

 he reached the water, a hawk made his appearance, apparently 

 pouncing upon him, when, with the remaining barrel, I laid 

 the destroyer at the side of his intended victim ; and, hastily 

 stripping ofl' my clothes, I plunged into the water, and brought 

 to land a cinerous boatbill, and the female of this noble hawk. 

 Every lover of nature, and particularly every ornithologist, 

 can picture to himself, better than I can describe, the delight 

 which I felt at procuring so valuable a prize. The next day, 

 at the same hour, namely, midday, I was at the same spot, 

 and for the same purpose ; and, listening to the diflerent 

 notes of the birds above, I heard the same sound repeated 

 which I had been listening to the day before. I determined 

 that I would, if possible, find out from what sort of throat it 

 proceeded, and, for that purpose, changed my position to one 

 from which I could see the trees which overhunsr the mouth 

 of the senote, and sat down to watch. After being seated a 

 short time, the sound was repeated, and 1 was enabled to 

 trace it as proceeding from the top of a gigantic tree which 

 overhung the water ; and, while straining my eyes to discover 

 its author, a second hawk, like the one I had procured the 

 day before, swooped down from the very spot on which I had 

 fixed my eyes, in pursuit of a dove, and, in the chase, passed 

 near enough to draw a shot from me, though an ineffectual 

 one. Three or four hours afterwards, as I was returning from 

 shooting, in consequence of a threatened shower,* my path 

 led me near the mouth of the senote ; and, hearing the cry 



* This bird, as well as the Laughing Falcon, of which last there are a great num- 

 ber in Yucatan, cries a great deal more just before a shower, and the Indians say it 

 is because its bones ache. 



