64 A FLYING TRIP TO THE TROPICS. 



short-tailed parrakeets, as small as sparrows {P slttacida conspicil- 

 k(ta), and some little swallows about the size of our bank-swallow, 

 with white bodies and dark wings {Tachi/cineta cdhlventrls ?). I 

 had to hurry back to the boat before I could shoot any more, and 

 on our w^ay up the river I skinned the kingfisher. Later in the 

 day we stopped again, and I w^ent ashore, but found it so intensely 

 hot that I soon came back. I saw here, with some chickens, a pair 

 of the turkey-like birds that I had seen on the 24th. They had 

 red legs, with long straight toes and claws, and spurs on the last 

 joint of their wings. Their general plumage was black ; their 

 faces wdiite, Avith a red ring around the eyes, and a feathery horn 

 on each side of the head [Clumna derhlana). In the afternoon 

 the boat stopped for wood, and we Avent ashore again. This time I 

 got a fine pigeon ; a male, as large as our domestic pigeon. It had 

 a bluish rump, forehead, and throat, purjjlish back and wings, a 

 metallic green nape, red feet, eyes, and lids (Columha rufina). I 

 saw during the day several caracara eagles {Polyhorus cherhDay), 

 and with my glass I could plainly see the brilliantly colored skin of 

 their faces. All day long we saw enormous flocks of ducks, wood 

 ibises, and parrakeets, and quantities of white herons, white egrets, 

 cocoi herons, blue and yellow macaw^s, jiarrots, haw^ks, kingfishers, 

 and a few fish-hawks (Pandion halicetus carolhiensis). We fired 

 many times at alligators, and saw some very large ones. We tied 

 up to the shore at night, as the river had become too full of snags 

 and bars to navigate except by daylight. We struck sand-bars 

 twice in the afternoon, but fortunately got off easily. For the last 

 two days Ave have had lovely vicAvs of blue mountains. To-day 

 they Avere to the west of us. It AA^as clear and very hot during the 

 day ; but we had a shower at bedtime. 



Tuesday, June 28, 1892. We Avere up early, and at the first 

 stop for Avood Avent ashore Avitli our guns. We found the land to 

 be only a few inches above the level of the river, of a soft black 

 mud, and near the Avater covered with a heavy groAvth of large 

 canna-like plants, Avith red and yelloAV floAvers. Around these were 



