118 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
River, which is a tributary of the Essequibo. It was the rainy season 
and practically all the humming-birds had disappeared. In despera- 
tion, I got hold of an English-speaking aboriginal Indian and 
offered a reward if he could show me any place where humming- 
birds came to feed, or any place where it would be possible to 
catch them. He seemed confident, much to my surprise, for I had 
scoured the district. Two days later he informed me in his broken 
English that he had found some humming-birds, and it was 
arranged there and then to go to the place the following morning. 
The only information I could get was that it was “not far,” which 
I knew from long experience with natives might mean anything 
from half a mile to a half a day’s march. 
The two of us set off along a forest trail in a fine rain and we 
had gone a little over two miles when the Indian stopped and 
said, “Humming-birds, massa.” I could see nothing, but heard a 
host of high-pitched chirping noises which I took to be tree-frogs 
or crickets. I laughed at the man and asked him where the hum- 
ming-birds were, thinking he must have misunderstood me all the 
time. Just then a wood-hermit flashed by me, which caused me to 
think again. Walking slowly in the direction of the center of 
noise, I saw a wood-hermit sitting on a dead twig, moving its tail 
up and down and incessantly uttering its high-pitched call-notes. 
In a moment it took wing, contacted another of its kind, and a 
chase went on round trees, over and under branches, then in a few 
seconds they parted, the first one alighting on the same twig as 
before. In about half an hour I was able to estimate that there were 
between thirty and forty birds in this small area, each with its 
favorite perching-place. They were all the same species—the 
Cayenne Wood-hermit. 
Having been introduced to this humming-bird community, I 
went there day after day to make further observations. As I ap- 
proached the same spot the distant chirping of the gathering 
could be heard, and every time they were there occupying their 
favorite perching-places. It was all rather mystifying. I set nets 
and caught several, though to catch any humming-bird in a hang- 
ing net is no easy matter. I set a number at about twenty feet 
from the ground between branches through which the birds flew 
when chasing one another. It seems to be the principal occupation 
