164 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



Conchera,^ which forms part of the hill of La Prision. 

 Here there are two tracks, one leading over the crest of 

 the hill, the other skirting it. Both of them meet at the 

 most westerly of the lajas, Los Gallitos (' The Cocks-of- 

 the-Rock '), so called because once upon a time these 

 beautiful birds fought, paired, and reared their young 

 amongst the huge blocks of granite covered with orchids 

 and flowering shrubs which adorn the black surface of 

 the open mass. The blocks of granite are there still, but 

 the cocks-of-the-rock have departed. Like the bell-birds, 

 the presence of man appears distasteful to them, and if 

 their domain be encroached upon by human beings they 

 abandon it to retire to some distant recess where they can 

 enjoy the solitude they love so well. 



From Los Gallitos to the house at La Prision is a 

 good stiff walk of a couple of hours, so that whenever we 

 lingered until late in the afternoon in the vicinity of this 

 laja engrossed in the work of collecting, we used to have 

 to hurry up on our way home if we did not feel inclined 

 to pass the night in the forest. 



After dinner I would examine the specimens brought 

 in by the other hunters, and this always gave me great 

 pleasure, especially when I recognised some rare bird or 

 butterfly, or saw for the first time some species unknown 

 to me. With Jacobson's help I would put the butterflies 

 in envelopes and label the birds for the taxidermist. Then, 

 if we had no negatives to attend to and we happened to be 

 too tired to speculate on the progress of the Boer war, 

 or the results of the crisis in China, we would do a very 

 sensible thing — go to sleep. 



' The Shell Kock. 



