136 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AIMERICA 



trees of the forest. They are easily shot in these 

 trees during the months of December, January, 

 and part of February. The greater part of them 

 disappear after this, and probably retire far away 

 to breed. Their nests have never been found in 

 Demerara. 



The fifth species is the celebrated Campanero 

 of the Spaniards, called Dara by the Indians, and 

 Bell-bird by the English. He is about the size of 

 the jay. His plumage is white as snow. On his 

 forehead rises a spiral tube nearly three inches 

 long. It is jet black, dotted all over with small 

 white feathers. It has a communication with the 

 palate, and when filled with air looks like a spire; 

 when empty it becomes pendulous. His note is 

 loud and clear, like the sound of a bell, and may 

 be heard at the distance of three miles. In the 

 midst of these extensive wilds, generally on the 

 dried top of an ancient mora, almost out of gun 

 reach, you will see the campanero. No sound or 

 song from any of the winged inhabitants of the 

 forest, not even the clearly pronounced ''Whip- 

 poor- Will," from the goatsucker, cause such as- 

 tonishment as the toll of the campanero. 



With many of the feathered race, he pays the 

 common tribute of a morning and an evening 

 song; and even when the meridian sun has shut 

 in silence the mouths of almost the whole of ani- 

 mated nature, the campanero still cheers the for- 

 est. You hear his toll, and then a pause for a 

 minute, then another toll, and then a pause again, 

 and then a toll, and again a pause. Then he is 

 silent for six or eight minutes, and then another 

 toll, and so on. Acteon would stop in mid chace, 



