334 THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN WILDERNESS 



architecture give the place a very foreign and attractive 

 flavor in northern eyes. Its rapid growth to prosperity 

 was due to the rubber-trade. This is now far less remu- 

 nerative than formerly. It will undoubtedly in some de- 

 gree recover; and in any event the development of the 

 immensely rich and fertile Amazonian valley is sure to go 

 on, and it will be immensely quickened when closer con- 

 nections are made with the Brazilian highland country 

 lying south of it. 



Here we found Miller, and glad indeed we were to see 

 him. He had made good collections of mammals and birds 

 on the Gy- Parana, the Madeira, and in the neighborhood 

 of Manaos; his entire collection of mammals was really 

 noteworthy. Among them was the only sloth any of us 

 had seen on the trip. The most interesting of the birds 

 he had seen was the hoatzin. This is a most curious bird 

 of very archaic type. Its flight is feeble, and the naked 

 young have spurs on their wings, by the help of which 

 they crawl actively among the branches before their feath- 

 ers grow. They swim no less easily, at the same early age. 

 Miller got one or two nests, and preserved specimens of 

 the surroundings of the nests; and he made exhaustive 

 records of the habits of the birds. Near Megasso a jaguar 

 had killed one of the bullocks that were being driven along 

 for food. The big cat had not seized the ox with its claws 

 by the head, but had torn open its throat and neck. 



Every one was most courteous at Manaos, especially 

 the governor of the state and the mayor of the city. Mr. 

 Robiliard, the British consular representative, and also 

 the representative of the Booth line of steamers, was par- 

 ticularly kind. He secured for us passages on one of the 



