THE NATURALIST ON THE RIVER AMAZONS. 



'Tpper -Aimaawms would be the general scarcity 

 of birds,; indeed, it of ten happened that 1 did 

 mot meet witfc a single bird during a whole 

 days' rsnilfefte in the richest and most varied 

 jpart of ifflafe wood. Yet the country is ten- 

 ranted by Moany feumdred species, many of 

 'which ane la reality abundant, and seme of 

 them conspicuous from their brilliant plu- 

 muige. Thecauseof their apparent rarity is fro 

 be sought in the sameness and density of the 

 tth usand miles of forest which constitute 

 their dwelling-place. The birds of the coun- 

 fl.-y aie gregarious, at least during the seasons 

 ^viien they are mort readily found ; but the 

 t ugivorous kinds are to be met with e>nly 

 "\\htn certain , wild fruits are ripe, and to 

 Ikuow the exact localities of the trees requires 

 mionths of experience. It wculd not be sup- 

 iposed that the insectivorcus biiels are also 

 fgregarious ; but they are so. m mbers of dis- 

 tinct species, behngiug to many different 

 families, joining trgHher in the chase or 

 d?caich of food. The prceet dints of these 

 associated bands of insect-) unteis are not a 

 l.ttle curious, and merit a few remarks. 



While hunting ale ng the IU.M-OW pathways 

 1hat are made through the forest in the 

 neighborhood of houses and villages, e>ne 

 m>ay pass eeveial days without seeing "many 

 hints ; iut new and then the surrounding 

 .lushes und trees appear suddenly 1o swaim 

 -with them. There are scoies, probably hun- 

 ch eds, of turds, all moving about with the 

 {greatest activity woodpeckers and Dtndio- 

 < < laptide (from species no larger than a spar- 

 s' w to others the size cf a cre.w) running up 

 it he tree trunks ; tanagers, ant -thrushes, hum 

 Hii'ng-birds, fly-catehers, and bar bets, flitting 

 a 1 out the leaves and lower brunches. The 

 1 usi ling crowd loses ro lime, and although 

 n oving in -conceit, each bird is occupied on 

 iis cwn account in searching bark or leaf or 

 iwig, the barbels visiting every clayey nest 

 < f teimiteson the trees which lie in the line 

 < f inarch. In a few minutes the host is 

 g'one, and the forest path remains deserted 

 a nd- silent as before. I berame- in course of 

 1'me Foaecustemed to this habit of birds in 

 the woods near Ega, that I could generally 

 tfind the flock oi associated marauders when- 

 * ver I wanted it. Thtre appeared to be only 

 rne of tiiese flt,eks in etch small district; 

 4 nd as it traversed ehiefly a limited tract of 

 \Nocds of second gicwth I used to try differ- 

 <nt paths until I ci me up with it. 



The Indians have noticed these miscehane- 

 cus 1 unting-f aities of birds, but appear not 

 to have observed that they are occupied in 

 searching for insects. They have supplied 

 their want of knowledge, in the usual way 

 < f half-civilized people, by a theory which 

 has degenerated into a myth, to the effect 

 that the onward mewing bands are led by a 

 little gray bird called the Uiia-paia, which 

 fascinates all the resl. and leads them aweary 

 dance through the thickets. There is cer- 

 tainly ome appearance of truth in this ex- 

 planation ; for srmetimes stray birds encoun- 

 tered in the line of march are seen to be 

 drawn intp tpe Jjrrpnjj, and purely fiugivor- 



7M 



ons birds are now and then found mixed up 

 with the rest, as though led away by some 

 will-o'-the-wisp. The native wtuien, even 

 the white and half-caste inhabitants of the 

 towns, attach a superstitious value to the 

 skin and feathers of the Uiia-para, believing 

 that if they keep them in their clothes-chest 

 the relics will have the effect of attracting 

 for the happy possessors a train of lovers and 

 followers. These birds are et nsenmently in 

 great demand in some pjacee. fr*** ^untera 

 selling them at a h;gii price to the foolish 

 girls, who preserve the bodies by drying flesh 

 and feathers together in the sun. 1 could 

 never get a sight of this famous little biid in 

 the forest. I once employed Indians to ob- 

 tain specimens for me ; but after the same 

 man (who was a noted woodsman) had 

 brought me at different times three distrnct 

 species of birds as the Uira-para, I gave up 

 the story as a piece of humbug. The sim- 

 plest explanation appears to be this, that the 

 birds associate in flocks from the instinct 

 of self-preservation, and in order to be a 

 less easy prey to hawks, snakes, and other 

 enemies, than they would be if feeding 

 lone. 



Toucans Gamer's Toucan. Of this fam- 

 ily of birds, so conspicuous from the great 

 size and light structure of their beaks, and 

 so characteristic of tropical American for- 

 ests, five species inhabit the woods of Ega. 

 The commonest is Ouvier's Toucan, a large 

 bird, distinguished from its nearest relatives 

 by the feathers at the bottom of the back 

 being of a saffron hue instead of red. It \f 

 found more or less numerously throughout 

 the year, as it breeds iu the neighborhood, 

 laying its eggs in holes of trees at a great 

 height from the ground. During most months 

 of the year it is met with in single individu- 

 als or small flocks, and the birds are then 

 very wary. Sometimes one of these little 

 bands of four or five is seen perched for 

 hours together among the topmost branches 

 of high trees, giving vent to their remarka- 

 bly loud, shrill, yelping cries, one bird 

 mounted higher than the rest, acting appar- 

 ently as leader of the inharmonious chonw ; 

 but two of them are often heard yelpiug 

 altermitely and in different notes These 

 cries have a vague resemblance to the sylla- 

 bles Tocano, Toetano, and hence the Indian 

 name of this geuas of birds. At these times 

 it is difficult to get a shot at Toucans, for 

 their senses are so sharpened that they descry 

 the hunter before he gets near the tree on 

 which they are perched, although he may be 

 half concealed among the underwood 150 

 feet below them. They stretch their necks 

 downward to look beneath, and on espying 

 the least movement among the foliage, fly 

 off to the more inaccessible parts of the for- 

 est. Solitary Toucans are sometimes met 

 with at the sanm season, hopping silently up 

 and down the larger boughs, and p eriug 

 into the ere vices of tree trunks. They moult 

 in the mouths from March to Jun ( % some in- 

 dividuals earlier, others later. This season, 

 p4 euforced. quiet being passed, they 



