i6 Book Noiices and Reviews. 



" Now the biTive little hoatzin reached up to some tiny side twigs, 

 and aided l)v the projecting ends of dead sticks from the nest, he climl)ed 

 with facility, his thumbs and forefingers apparently being of more aid 

 than his feet. It was fascinating to see him ascend, stopping now and 

 then to crane his head and neck far <m\. turtle-wise. He met every 

 difficultv with some new contortion of brxly or limbs, often with so quick 

 or so suljtle a shifting as to escape my scrutiny. The branch ended in a 

 tiny crotch, and here, perforce, ended his attempt at escape by climbing. 

 He stood on the swaying twig, one wing clutched tight, and braced 

 himself with both feet. 



" Nearer and nearer crept Sam. Not a quiver on the part of the little 

 hoatzin. We did not know it, but inside that ridiculous head there was 



definite decision to a deadline \ black hand gra.sped the thorny 



branch six feet from his perch, and like a llash he played his next trick — 

 the only remaining one he knew, one th.-it set h'm apart from all modern 

 land birds, as the frog is set apart from the swallow. 



'■ The young hoatzin stood erect for ;m instant, and then both wings 

 of tlie little bird were stretched straight back, not folded, bird-wse, but 

 dangling loosely and re.iching well l^eyond the l)ody. Fo a considerable 

 fraction of time he leaned well forwanl. Then without effort, without 

 apparent leap or inn^n he dived straight down ward, as beautiful as a seaJ, 

 direct as a pknnmet and very swiftly. There was a scarcely noticeable 

 splash, and as I gazed with real a\\'e, T watched the widening ripples which 

 undulated over the muddv water — the only trace of the whereabouts of 

 the young bird. ... .1 sat silently watching for the re-appearance of 

 the young bird. A\'e tallied live pairs of eyes and vet many minutes 

 ]iasscd before I saw the same little head sticking out of the water along- 

 side a bit of drift rubbish. The only visible thing was the protruding 

 spikes of the bedraggled tail feathers. 1 worked the boat in towards the 

 bird, half-heartedly, for I had made U]i my mind that this particular brave 

 little bit of atavism deserved his freedom, so splendidly had he fought 

 for it among the pimplers. Soon he ducked forward, dived out of sight 

 •and came np twenty feet nwav among an inextricable tangle of vines. 

 I sent a little cheer of well wishing- aftvi" him and we salvaged Sam. 



" Then we shoved out the boat and watched from a distance. Five 

 or six minutes passed and a skinny, crooked, two-fingered mitten of an 

 arm reared upward out of the muddy flood, and the nestling, blflck and 

 glistening, hauled itself out of the water. ... In fifteen minutes it 

 h;ul clinilietl high out of the water, and with unerring accuracy to its 

 natal bundle of slicks overhead. The mother now came close, and with 

 hoarse rasping notes and frantic heaves of tail and wigs, lent encourage- 

 ment. Just before we paddled from sight, when the litte fellow had 

 reached his last rung, lie iiartly opened his beak and gave a little falsetto 

 cry — a clear, high tone, tailing ofif into a guttural rasp. His splendid 

 courage had broken at last ; he had nearly reached the nest, and he was 



