346 ANIMALS OF NEIGHBOURHOOD OF EGA. Cuap. XII. 
interesting birds found in the Ega district. The first thing that would 
strike a new-comer in the forests of the Upper Amazons would be the 
general scarcity of birds ; indeed, it often happened that I did not meet 
with a single bird during a whole day’s ramble in the richest and most 
varied parts of the woods. Yet the country is tenanted by many 
hundred species, many of which are in reality abundant, and some of 
them conspicuous from their brilliant. plumage. The cause of their 
apparent rarity is to be sought in the sameness and density of the 
thousand miles of forest which constitute their dwelling-place. The 
birds of the country are gregarious, at least during the season when they 
are most readily found ; but the frugivorous kinds are to be met with 
only when certain wild fruits are ripe, and to know the exact localities 
of the trees requires months of experience. It would not be supposed 
that the insectivorous birds are also gregarious; but they are so, 
numbers of distinct species, belonging to many different families, joining 
together in the chase or search of food. The proceedings of these 
associated bands of insect hunters are not a little curious, and merit a 
few remarks. 
Whilst hunting along the narrow pathways that are made through the 
forest in the neighbourhood of houses and villages one may pass several 
days without seeing many birds; but now and then the surrounding 
bushes and trees appear suddenly to swarm with them. There are 
scores, probably hundreds, of birds, all moving about with the greatest 
activity—woodpeckers and Dendrocolaptide (from species no larger 
than a sparrow to others the size of a crow) running up the tree trunks ; 
tanagers,* ant-thrushes, humming-birds, fly-catchers, and barbets, flitting 
about the leaves and lower branches. The bustling crowd loses no 
time, and although moving in concert, each bird is occupied on its own 
account in searching bark, or leaf, or twig; the barbets visiting every 
clayey nest of termites on the trees which lie in the line of march. In 
a few minutes the host is gone, and the forest path remains deserted 
and silent as before. I became in course of time so accustomed to this 
habit of birds in the woods near Ega, that I could generally find the 
flock of associated marauders whenever I wanted it. There appeared 
to be only one of these flocks in each small district ; and as it traversed 
chiefly a limited tract of woods of second growth, I used to try different 
paths until I came up with it. 
The Indians have noticed these miscellaneous hunting parties of 
birds, but appeared not to have observed that they are occupied in 
searching for insects. They have supplied their want of knowledge, in 
the usual way of half-civilised people, by a theory which has degenerated 
into a myth, to the effect that the onward moving bands are led by a 
little gray bird called the Papd-uird, which fascinates all the rest, and 
leads them a weary dance through the thickets. There is certainly 
some appearance of truth in this explanation ; for sometimes stray birds 
encountered in the line of march are seen to be drawn into the throng, 
and purely frugivorous birds are now and then found mixed up with the 

* Tachyphonus surinamus and cristatus, Tanagrella elegantissima. I very often 
found fruit-eating birds, such as Cassicus icteronotus and Capito Amazoninus, mingled 
with these bands. 
