Mak. 1891.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 83 



attention during the course of a ramble or series of rambles 

 through them. 



" Starting from the Bolivia one naturally follows the course of the 

 river for some distance, its dry bed forming a good road for walk- 

 ing. Eunning along on the damp mud, picking up stray insects, 

 one sees large numbers of little yellow-breasted Tyrannidae {Mac- 

 hetornis Hxosa, Vieill), and here and there a little sandpiper or 

 yellowshank. The bushes along the river margin for some distance 

 do not appear to have many inhabitants, until suddenly one hears a 

 regular babel of chirps in all keys and tones, and looking up one 

 finds over a considerable area every bush swarming with little 

 perching birds. In fact, all the Passeres of the neighbourhood 

 appear to collect together in these parties for the purpose of food- 

 hunting. One there sees tiny little Mniotiltidas {Panda pitiayuriii, 

 Vieill., Geotlilypis veJata, Yieill., Basilenterus auricapilliis, Sw.) 

 and greenlets, mingling with tanagers and finches of varied species. 

 Of the tanagers one is struck by the colouring of the uniform pale blue 

 Tanagra sayaca, Linn., the deep blue and yellow of T. bonariends, 

 Gm., and the uniform vivid scarlet of Azara's tanager {Pyranga 

 Azarse, d'Orb.); while three larger species are equally noticeable 

 from their great numbers, although their plumage is of dull and 

 sober hue (Saltator similis, d'Orb, et Lafr., S. ccenilescens, Vieill, 

 and *S'. aurantii rostris, Vieill.). Finches are not particularly 

 nvimerous in species, but they make up for this by their numbers 

 of individuals — three species are in immense numbers — a sober 

 little sparrow, but little gayer than our sparrow at home {Zono- 

 trichea piJeata, Bodd.), and the two beautiful little cardinal finches, 

 whose plumage is above dark grey, beneath white, and with a head- 

 piece of vivid scarlet, which in one case forms a tall-pointed cowl- 

 like crest {Paroaria capitata, d'Orb. et Lafr., and P. cucuUata, Lath.). 



" Certain families of birds peculiar to the New World are very 

 conspicuous, and especiall)'' to one like myself, accustomed to the 

 Old World facies of bird-fauna. One of these families is that of 

 the tronpials (Iderido}). One is astonished at the numbers of black 

 starling-like birds one sees. There are but few song-birds here, 

 but now, as it is early morning, one's ear is suddenly caught by a 

 string of preliminary notes of the most exquisite character — pure 

 and deep and flute-like, and one composes oneself to listen to the 

 wonderful melody when it suddenly, without a moment's Avarning, 

 ends up in a most unmusical miauw-like cry. One goes up and finds 

 the performer to be the white-billed cassique (Cassicus alhirostris), 

 with plumage of black and yellow. Its larger relative, Cassicus 

 solitarius, VieiU., has a similarly rich voice ; its song is very short, 

 but it does not end it up in the absurd fashion of G. alhirostris. 

 In almost every bush one sees hopping about a pair of Formicaridae 

 {Tliarimoj[)hilus major, Vieill.), with a curious cat-like cry, of which 

 the male is conspicuous in plumage of black and white and bright red 

 irides, while the female has a more sober- coloured plumage of reddish- 



