THE KOA BIRD 23i3 



while the others were building the huts, I determined to 

 follow the track for some distance and see the sort of 

 country that lay between us and the object of our journey. 

 Pedro Hospedales and Maite, who had been out hunting 

 the day before, told me that to reach the base of Ameha 

 it was necessary to traverse a belt of low-lying tangled 

 growth of much greater extent than would be supposed 

 when the mountain is viewed from the river. The trees 

 of this growth are stunted, and their trunks and branches 

 twisted and unshapely. They are covered with mosses 

 and parasites and appear to be always dripping with 

 moisture. Besides other plants I noticed two varieties 

 of begonia, some caladiums, and a Sobralia. Hillocks 

 shaped like mounds are scattered irregularly over this 

 low-lying strip of land. Although the elevation of these 

 hillocks above the surrounding country is but slight, the 

 vegetation which clothes them is different, and they are 

 free from the deep holes covered with rotten wood and 

 leaves which make walking in the low-lying part difficult 

 and even dangerous. It was late when we started to 

 retrace our steps to what we used to call home. We 

 hm'ried along in the gathering darkness, stumbling over 

 the matted roots and broken branches which impeded our 

 march through this wilderness of weird ghost-like trees. 

 We were all glad when we caught sight of the glare of 

 our camp-fire. Hastening on we were soon seated within 

 the bright circle of light where the men, squatting in 

 groups, were eating their dinner. For the first time I 

 heard in the gloom of the forest on our way home the 

 strange cry of the bald-headed cotinga.^ Maite told me 

 that the Waiomgomos call this bird Koa, which sounds 

 very much like the Demerara name Quow. The unearthly 



' Gyvmocephalus calvus. 



