Birds of Columbia. 123 



scrambling, stopped oa the side of a bill in a forest consisting of 

 oaks {Quercus tolimensis) , wbicb overbung a park-like grassy 

 valley, interspersed with trees and shrubs, amongst which ran a 

 small dashing stream. Under these trees we took up our station, 

 but to no purpose ; the bird we wanted was not to be seen tbat 

 morning, though, on our way back, one of us on one side of 

 the valley, and the other on the other, I believe we heard some- 

 thing of it. About 4 o^ clock in the afternoon we returned 

 to the same place, the bird never being seen, we were told, 

 except in the early morning, or just before sunset, and again 

 took up our station under the oaks. 



After we had been about half an hour, we heard, far up in 

 the forest above, a sound more like the grunt of an organ than 

 any thing else. In another minute there was another grunt, 

 and a much louder one ; the bird was evidently coming ; and 

 our guide motioned us forward. Grunt — grunt — grunt ; bang 

 — bang! and a wounded bird flew past, which was soon secured 

 by our guide, and proved to be Pyroderus granadensis. After- 

 wards I had the misfortune of having my gun snap twice at 

 another of these birds. The crop of the one we had obtained was 

 found to be empty. It was evidently coming down to its evening 

 meal, which, I fancy, would consist of the acorns with which 

 the ground was strewn. Our guide, however, could not tell us 

 any thing about it. The bird probably sits up in the tops of 

 the trees in the thickest part of the forest during the day- 

 time. 



Another of the huts we stopped at was called Portrerras by our 

 muleteers; but whether this was its real name is, I think, doubtful. 

 I had been informed at OcaSa that the road over the paramo 

 went by Portrerras. We arrived before our luggage and the 

 mulemen, and were told by the owners of the hut that Portrerras 

 was further on ; but as soon as our men arrived, there was, I 

 think, an understanding between the two parties that it should 

 go by that name, in order to persuade us that we were going the 

 right way. On the map I have given its position under this 

 name. It is nearly six days' journey from Ocana; and the 

 elevation is about 7000 feet, where the zone of Quernales com- 

 mences. Amongst these we could get about without much dif- 



