WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 151 



taken for one; it feeds entirely upon insects; it 

 sits on a branch in motionless expectation, and as 

 soon as a fly, butterfly, or moth passes by, it darts 

 at it, and returns to the branch it had just left. 

 It seems an indolent, sedentary bird, shunning the 

 society of all others in the forest. It never visits 

 the plantations, but is found at all times of the 

 year in the woods. There are four species of jaca- 

 mar in Demerara; they are all beautiful; the 

 largest, rich and superb in the extreme. Its plu- 

 mage is of so fine a changing blue and golden 

 green, that it may be ranked with the choicest of 

 the humming-birds. Nature has denied it a song, 

 but given a costly garment in lieu of it The small- 

 est species of jacamar is very common in the dry 

 savannas. The second size, all golden green on 

 the back, must be looked for in the wallaba forest. 

 The third is found throughout the whole extent of 

 these wilds ; and the fourth, which is the largest, 

 frequents the interior, where you begin to per- 

 ceive stones in the ground. 



When you have penetrated far into Macoushia, 

 you hear the pretty songster called Troupiale 

 pour forth a variety of sweet and plaintive notes. 

 This is the bird which the Portuguese call the 

 Nightingale of Guiana; its predominant colours 

 are rich orange and shining black, arrayed to 

 great advantage; his delicate and well-shaped 

 frame seems unable to bear captivity. The In- 

 dians sometimes bring down troupiales to Sta- 

 broek, but in a few months they languish and die 

 in a cage. They soon become very familiar ; and 

 if you allow them the liberty of the house, they 

 live longer than in a cage, and appear in better 



