Chap, iv.] IirAIMTNCr lURDS AND TOUCANS. 79 



of forms which exist in the country. The abundant vegetation 

 hides them from the casual view, and they are not consi)icuous, 

 as in an open country, such as CaHfornia. 



We returned to the railway station, where we found beds 

 made up for us in the waiting room. Thanks to the energy of 

 the English railway officials. Bass's ale is to be had at all the 

 stations on the line at 2s. 2d. a bottle. 



As soon as it was dark, numbers of fireflies came out. The 

 small negro boys of the village lighted a bonfire and sat round 

 it, making horrible squealing noises by blowing through short 

 conical tubes, made by rolling up strips of palm lenf spirally, 

 and so arranged that at the mouth-piece there are two pieces 

 placed flat against one another, as in the reed of a hautboy. 

 Such excruciatmg sounds seem to be as pleasing to the youthful 

 African ear as to that of the London street boy. 



Next niorning at daybreak, we started off to a part of the 

 forest where the negro guide said there were Toucans. We 

 passed a tree covered with white blossoms, over which about 

 a dozen Humming-birds of three species were hovering. We 

 shot some, but it is not an easy matter to obtain them in good 

 condition. They are of so light weight that they often hang 

 amongst the leaves when killed, and even when they do fall it 

 is almost impossible to watch them and distinguish them from 

 the falling leaves knocked off by the shot. 



Then the ground beneath the bushes is frequently covered 

 with thorny plants and sharply cutting grasses, amongst which 

 it is not pleasant to force one's way, and where search is almost 

 hopeless. The negroes who make it their business to collect 

 Humming-birds for sale can afford to wait till they get their 

 birds in good position. 



The birds did not care at all for the sound of a gun, but went 

 on buzzing like sphinx moths over the flowers quite uncon- 

 cernedly, whilst their companions at the same bush were being 

 shot one after another. They can even often be caught with a 

 butterfly net, or knocked down with a hat. I saw five .species 

 on the wing whilst in the neighbourhood of Bahia. 



We turned into the gloomy forest and for some time saw 

 nothing but a huge brown moth, which looked almost like a 

 baton the wing. All of a sudden, we heard, high upon the 

 trees, a short shrieking sort of noise ending in a hiss, and our 

 guide became excited and said " Toucan." The birds were 

 very wary and made off. They are much in request and often 

 shot at. At last we got a sight of a pair, but they were at the 

 top of such a very high tree that they were out of range. 



At last, when I was giving up hope, I heard loud calls, and 

 three birds came and settled in a low bush in the middle of the 



