THE MANAKIN'S AERIAL DANCE. II7 



Assuming that it is necessary to secure a bird, the 

 best way, as I said, is to make it come to you, and not 

 go blundering about the woods, barking your shins 

 against rocks and trees. You can call them to you, 

 as the Carib Indians taught me, by various imitations 

 of their cries. Their curiosity will prompt them to 

 investigate any strange noise in their quiet retreats, 

 and they will come flying toward you precipitately, 

 if you keep yourself well concealed. 



Imitate the cry of a bird in distress, and a dozen 

 of his or her relatives will come flying to the rescue. 

 Squeak as though a young bird were trying its first 

 flights, and a lot of troubled mother birds will drive 

 straight for the object of their solicitude. More at- 

 tractive than any other call is that imitating a pair of 

 birds engaged in a flght. ]S"early all birds love a 

 scrimmage, and take as much interest in it as any 

 small boy does in a dog fight. They hurry forward 

 with responsive cries, and nearly tumble over them- 

 selves in their efforts to be first at the scene of the 

 affray. 



By means of these cries I surrounded myself with 

 flitting forms, which kept me company throughout 

 the day. 



Like flashing gems, like meteors astray, the merry 

 humming birds darted athwart the glen, illumining 

 its darkest nooks. I could have lain there in my 

 bathing pool for hours and hours, listening to the 

 falling water and watching the eccentric flights of the 

 birds. But soon my clothes were dry, there was no 

 longer excuse for lingering, and I went a little way 



