100 THE GKEAT CHESTED COQUETTE. 



his eye fixed on the water beneath, in 

 Avhich he hopes presently to spy out a fish. 

 And here is the Scarlet Flamingo, like a 

 soldier sentinel, and the White Ibis, and 

 many more. 



Overhead fly the sea-birds, the Gull and 

 the Tern, as though this mighty river were 

 the ocean. The Gulls utter all night their 

 hoarse cry. By day they often amuse 

 themselves by sitting in a row on some 

 floating log of wood in the middle of the 

 stream, and sailing down, as if they enjoyed 

 the voyage. 



They deposit their eggs in the sand- 

 banks. And the Indian, who is very 

 observant of the habits of the birds, says 

 that in the middle of the day they carry 

 drops of water in their bills, to moisten the 

 eggs, and prevent them from being spoiled 

 by the excessive heat. 



And here, as in the sea, a shoal of por- 



