WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 137 



Maria would defer her evening song, and Orpheus 

 himself would drop his lute to listen to him, so 

 sweet, so novel, and romantic is the toll of the 

 pretty snow-white campanero. He is never seen 

 to feed with the other cotingas, nor is it known in 

 what part of Guiana he makes his nest. 



While the cotingas attract your attention by 

 their superior plumage, the singular form of the 

 Toucan makes a lasting impression on your mem- 

 ory. There are three species of toucans in Deme- 

 rara, and three diminutives, which may be called 

 Toucanets. The largest of the first species fre- 

 quents the mangrove-trees on the sea-coast. He 

 is never seen in the interior till you reach Ma- 

 coushia, where he is found in the neighbourhood of 

 the river Tacatou. The other two species are 

 very common. The)' feed entirely on the fruits of 

 the forest, and though of the pie kind, never kill 

 the young of other birds or touch carrion. The 

 larger is called Bouradi by the Indians, (which 

 means Nose,) the other, Scirou, They seem par- 

 tial to each other's company, and often resort to 

 the same feeding tree, and retire together to the 

 same shady noon-day retreat. They are very 

 noisy in rainy weather at all hours of the day, and 

 in fair weather, at morn and eve. The sound 

 which the bouradi makes is like the clear yelping 

 of a puppy dog, and you fancy he says ' ' Pia-po-o- 

 co," and thus the South American Spaniards call 

 him Piapoco. 



All the toucanets feed on the same trees on 

 which the toucan feeds, and every species of this 

 family of enormous bill, lays it eggs in the hollow 

 trees. They are social, but not gregarious. You 



