JUMBO-JOCKO AND THE COCKERRICOS. Y5 



dawn and continue till sunrise, and the high forests 

 ring with the noise of the rival sentinels, the watch- 

 word being caught and repeated from one to another 

 for hundreds of miles around, insomuch that the 

 whole country is for an hour or more in an universal 

 shout." 



I followed in Bartram's footsteps in Florida, one 

 hundred years later, but the wild turkeys had near- 

 ly disappeared : though one memorable morning I 

 shot four noble birds, the only ones I ever secured. 

 There are no wild turkeys in Tobago, and the cock- 

 erricos are the largest bird to be found there, being 

 about two feet in length and httle more in extent of 

 wing. 



It is never safe to venture far in the rainy season, 

 but I was so glad to get out into the woods once 

 more that I tramped for two hours before halting. 

 Then down came the rain, and I sought shelter beneath 

 a big tree, in which I had reason to believe some cock- 

 erricos were feeding. But as I tried to look aloft the 

 great drops of water splashed into my eyes, from or- 

 chids and wild pines, and at the same time the birds 

 were hushed by the rainfall, and I had no guide to 

 their position. 



The woods were as quiet as a graveyard, the only 

 sounds to be heard being the pattering of the rain- 

 drops on the leaves; but I felt sure that the birds 

 were warily watching me. And at last, when, in 

 sheer desperation, I walked out into the open, imme- 

 diately there was a great shouting and cackling in the 

 treetops, and a wild dash of frightened cockerricos in 



