WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 187 



by the Indians. It is smaller than the common pigeon, and 

 seems, in some measure, to partake of its nature : its head 

 and breast are blue ; the back and rump somewhat resemble 

 the colour on the peacock's neck ; its belly is a bright yel- 

 low ; the legs are so very short that it always appears as if 

 sitting on the branch ; it is as ill-adapted for walking as the 

 swallow ; its neck, for above an inch all round, is quite bare 

 of feathers, but this deficiency is not seen, for it always sits 

 with its head drawn in upon its shoulders : it sometimes 

 feeds with the cotingas on the guava and hitia trees ; but 

 its chief nutriment seems to be insects, and, like most birds 

 which follow this prey, its chaps are well armed with 

 bristles : it is found in Demerara at all times of the year, 

 and makes a nest resembling that of the stock-dove. This 

 bird never takes long nights, and when it crosses a river or 

 creek it goes by long jerks. 



The boclora is very unsuspicious, appearing quite heed- 

 less of danger : the report of a gun within twenty yards 

 will not cause it to leave the branch on which it is sitting, 

 and you may often approach it so near as almost to touch 

 it with the end of your bow. Perhaps there is no bird 

 known whose feathers are so slightly fixed to the skin as 

 those of the boclora. After shooting it, if it touch a branch 

 in its descent, or if it drop on hard ground, whole heaps of 

 feathers fall off ; on this account it is extremely hard to 

 procure a specimen for preservation. As soon as the skin 

 is dry in the preserved specimen, the feathers become as 

 well fixed as those in any other bird. 



Another species, larger than the boclora, attracts much 

 of your notice in these wilds ; it is called Cuia by the 

 Indians, from the sound of its voice ; its habits are the 

 same as those of the boclora, but its colours different ; its 

 head, breast, back, and rump, are a shining, changing green ; 

 its tail not quite so bright; a black bar runs across the 



