INTERESTING BIRDS 



AN interesting bird, called the Japim, 

 a species of Cassicus, is found in 

 the neighborhood of Para, Brazil. It be- 

 longs to the same family of birds as the 

 starling, magpie, and rook, and has a rich 

 yellow and black plumage, remarkably com- 

 pact and velvety in texture. The shape of 

 its head, and its physiognomy are very 

 similar to that of the magpie ; it has bright 

 gray eyes, which give to it the same know- 

 ing expression. It is social in its habits, 

 and builds its nest like the English rook, 

 on trees in the neighborhood of man's habi- 

 tations, but the nests are quite differently 

 constructed, being shaped like purses, two- 

 feet in length, and suspended from the 

 slender branches all round the tree, some 

 of them very near the ground. The en- 

 trance is on the side near the bottom of 

 the nest. The bird is a great favorite with 

 the Brazilians of Para ; it is a noisy, stir- 

 ring, babbling creature, passing constantly 

 to and fro, chattering to its comrades, and 

 is very ready at imitating other birds, es- 

 pecially the domestic poultry of the vicin- 

 ity. There was at one time a weekly news- 

 paper published at Para, called The Japim; 

 the name being chosen on account of the 

 babbling propensities of the bird. Its eggs 

 are nearly round, and of a bluish-white 

 color, speckled with brown. 



The lower branches of the mangrove 

 bushes, especially along the banks of the 

 Magoary river, are frequented by the beau- 

 tiful bird, " Ardea helias." This is a small 

 heron, of exquisitely graceful shape and 

 mien; its plumage is minutely variegated 

 with bars and spots of a great many col- 

 ors, like the wings of certain kinds of 

 moths. It is difficult to see the bird in 

 the woods, on account of its sombre colors 



and the shadiness of its dwelling-places, 

 but its note, a soft long-drawn whistle, 

 often betrays its hiding-place. The Indi- 

 ans say that it builds in trees, and that the 

 nest, which is made of clay, is beautifully 

 constructed. It is a favorite pet bird of 

 the Brazilians, who call it Pavao (pro- 

 nounced pavaong), or peacock. It soon 

 becomes tame, and walks about the floors 

 of houses, picking up scraps of food, or 

 catching insects, which it secures by walk- 

 ing gently to the place where they settle, 

 and spearing them with its long slender 

 beak. It allows itself to be handled by 

 children, and will answer to its name 

 " Pavao ! Pavao ! " walking up with a 

 dainty, circumspect gait, and taking a fly 

 or beetle from the hand. 



Among nocturnal birds of Brazil the 

 goat-suckers attract our attention. As 

 soon as it is dark, swarms of these birds 

 suddenly make their appearance, wheeling 

 about in a noiseless, ghostly manner, in 

 chase of night-flying insects. They some- 

 times descend and settle on a low branch, 

 or even on the pathway close to where one 

 is walking, and then, squatting down on 

 their heels, are difficult to distinguish from 

 the surrounding soil. One kind has a long 

 forked tail. In the day time they are con- 

 cealed in the wooded hills, where the 

 hunter sometimes sees them crouched, and 

 sleeping on the ground in the dense shade. 

 They make no nest, but lay their eggs on 

 the bare ground. Later in the evening, 

 the singular notes of the goat-suckers are 

 heard, one species crying Qiiao, Qiiao, 

 another Chuck-co-cao, and these are re- 

 peated at intervals far into the night in the 

 most monotonous manner. 



G. B. G. 



