CHAPTER III. 



During the three days spent at the camp, following our 

 trip to Tunkas, we thoroughly explored the neighborhood 

 and added very largely to our collections. One day was so 

 much like another that I will refrain from a detailed account 

 of each days' episodes. 



The first thing that would strike a newcomer in the 

 woods about the camp would be the apparant scarcity of 

 birds; indeed, it often happened that we did not meet with 

 a single bird during half a days' ramble in the most varied 

 parts of the woods. Yet the country was tenanted by many 

 hundred species, many of which were in reality abundant, 

 and some of them conspicuous for their brilliant plumage. 

 The cause of this apparent rarity was to be sought in the 

 sameness of the forest which constituted their dwelling- 

 place. The majority of the birds of the country were gre- 

 garious, at least during the season when they were most 

 readily found; the fruit-eating species were to be met with 

 only when certain wild fruits were ripe, and to know their 

 exact localities required a great deal of experience. 



While hunting along the narrow path-ways through the 

 forest in the neighborhood of the camp, we would pass 

 several hours without seeing many birds; but now and then 

 the surrounding bushes and trees appeared suddenly to 

 swarm with them. There were scores of birds, all mov- 

 ing about with the greatest activity — Crotophaga, wood- 

 peckers, tanagers, flycatchers, and thrushes, flitting about 

 the leaves and lower branches. The bustling crowd lost 

 no time, but hurried along, each bird occupied on its 

 account in scanning bark, leaf, or twig in- search of insects. 

 In a few minutes the host was gone, and the forest remained 

 as silent as before. In the woods about the camp I wit- 

 nessed quite frequently a curious case of protective resem- 

 blance; the Road-runners {Geococcyx affinis) when disturbed, 



