154 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



there accidentally in the forest, you see a songless 

 yawaraeiri still lovelier than the last : liis crown is 

 whitish blue, arrayed like a coat of mail : his tail 

 is black, his wings black and yellow; legs red; 

 and the whole body a glossy blue. Whilst roving 

 through the forest, ever and anon you see individ- 

 uals of the wren species, busy amongst the fallen 

 leaves, or seeking insects at the roots of the trees. 



Here, too, you find six or seven species of small 

 birds, whose backs appear to be overloaded with 

 silky plumage. One of these, with a chestnut 

 breast, smoke-coloured back, red tail, white 

 feathers like horns on his head, and white, nar- 

 row-pointed feathers under the jaw, feeds entirely 

 upon ants. When a nest of large, light brown 

 ants emigrates, one following the other in mean- 

 dering lines above a mile long, you see this bird 

 watching them, and every now and then picking 

 them up. When they disappear he is seen no 

 more: perhaps this is the only kind of ant he is 

 fond of; when these ants are stirring, you are 

 sure to find him near them. You cannot well mis- 

 take the ant after you have once been in its com- 

 pany, for its sting is very severe, and you can 

 hardly shoot the bird, and pick it up, without hav- 

 ing five or six upon you. 



Parrots and Paroquets are very numerous here, 

 and of many different kinds. You will know when 

 they are near you in the forest, not only by the 

 noise they make, but also by the fruits and seeds 

 which they let fall while they are feeding. 



The Hia-hia Parrot, called in England the Par- 

 rot of the Sun, is very remarkable: he can erect 

 at pleasure a fine radiated circle of tartan feathers 



