Cuap, XI, UMBRELLA BIRD. 325 
is also suspended from the neck, formed by a thick pad of glossy steel- 
blue feathers, which grow on a long fleshy lobe or excrescence. This 
lobe is connected (as I found on skinning specimens) with an unusual 
development of the trachea and vocal organs, to which the bird doubtless 
owes its singularly deep, loud, and long-sustained fluty note. The 
Indian name of this strange creature is Uird-mimbéu, or fife-bird,* in 
allusion to the tone of its voice. We had the good luck, after remain- 
ing quiet a short time, to hear its performance. It drew itself up on its 
perch, spread widely the umbrella-formed crest, dilated and waved its 
glossy breast-lappet, and then, in giving vent to its loud piping note, 
bowed its head slowly forwards. We obtained a pair, male and female : 
the female has only the rudiments of the crest and lappet, and is duller 
coloured altogether than the male. The range of this bird appears to 
be quite confined to the plains of the Upper Amazons (especially the 
Ygap6 forests), not having been found to the east of the Rio Negro. 
Bento and our other friends being disappointed in finding no more 
Curassows, or indeed any other species of game, now resolved to turn 
back. On reaching the edge of the forest we sat down and ate our 
dinners under the shade ; each man having brought a little bag containing 
afew handfuls of farinha, and a piece of fried fish or roast turtle. We 
expected our companions of the other division to join us at mid-day, 
but after waiting till past one o’clock without seeing anything of them 
(in fact, they had returned to the huts an hour or two previously), we 
struck off across the praia towards the encampment. An obstacle here 
presented itself on which we had not counted. The sun had shone all 
day through a cloudless sky untempered by a breath of wind, and the 
sands had become heated by it to a degree that rendered walking over 
them with our bare feet impossible. The most hardened footsoles of 
the party could not endure the burning soil. We made several 
attempts; we tried running: wrapped the cool leaves of Heliconize 
round our feet, but in no way could we step forward many yards. 
There was no means of getting back to our friends before night, except 
going round the praia, a circuit of about four miles, and walking through 
the water or on the moist sand. ‘To get to the water-side from the place 
where we then stood was not difficult, as a thick bed of a flowering shrub, 
called tintarana, an infusion of the leaves of which is used to dye black, 
lay on that side of the sand-bank. Footsore and wearied, burthened 
with our guns, and walking for miles through the tepid shallow water 
under the brain-scorching vertical sun, we had, as may be imagined, 
anything but a pleasant time of it. I did not, however, feel any in- 
convenience afterwards. Every one enjoys the most lusty health whilst 
living this free and wild life on the rivers. 
The other hunting trip which I have alluded to was undertaken in 
company with three friendly young half-castes. Two of them were 
brothers, namely, Joad (John) and Zephyrino Jabutt : Jabutt, or tortoise, 
being a nickname which their father had earned for his slow gait, and 
which, as is usual in this country, had descended as the surname of the 
* Mimbeu is the Indian name for a rude kind of pan-pipes used by the Caishanas 
and other tribes. 
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