HOMES OF TOUCANS 209 



the hunger cries of a pair of nesthng toucans, hidden in some 

 hollow high overhead. 



Fifteen minutes passed before a toucan appeared, a big 

 sulphur-and-white-breasted one, who instantly discovered 

 me, scolded for a minute and vanished. Before the morning 

 passed, a troop of red howling monkeys made their way leis- 

 urely along the topmost branches. Both toucans appeared 

 and mobbed the monkeys, following them for some distance, 

 I got no clue, for any momentary delay on the part of a 

 monkey appeared to arouse the same anxiety in any one 

 of a half dozen great trees. 



On the following day we came with three Indian axe- 

 men. Guided by the cries we chose a tree and felled it, but 

 the several hollows contained nothing more exciting than 

 giant tree crickets and equally huge grubs of rhinoceros 

 beetles. The voices of the young birds had ceased at the 

 first axe stroke, so we had no further guidance. A second 

 tree yielded nothing, and we were forced to desist, for the 

 mass of tangled branches and lianas made all movement 

 impossible. The jungle kept this secret inviolate from us. 



