WAYS OF TINAMOU 261 



between two small projecting buttresses. The trees selected 

 were small and the nests were usually on the side away from 

 the prevailing heavy rains. One such nest found on the third 

 of April was close to the base of a young mora tree in light 

 undergrowth. The six eggs, burnished, spheroidal, were 

 lying in a deep depression of the thick layer of dead leaves 

 which covered the whole of this part of the jungle floor. 

 Several large leaves hung directly over the nest, sheltering 

 it from view above. We found it by accident, while we were 

 searching for the nest of a big black-breasted ant-thrush, 

 which persisted in wandering aimlessly about, once or twice 

 fairly walking over the tinamou's nest. This was one of the 

 most beautiful and graceful of the ant-thrushes, large and 

 partridge-like, forever pattering with dainty steps over the 

 leaves and dodging under hanging vines. Now and then 

 she uttered a shrill, querulous chatter, and between times 

 dipped her tail sandpiper-like. The male flew almost at my 

 first movement and did not return. The female walked 

 about, keeping apparently away from her own nest and ulti- 

 mately blundered into and flushed the tinamou. 



As we leaned over the nest, held by the beauty of the 

 great, blue spheres, we came under the suspicion of a world of 

 midgets. First came a pair of cinnamon hummingbirds 

 whose nest must have been close by, for they bullied every- 

 thing in sight. Insect-like, they came within arm's-length 

 of my face, where they whirred, and hung suspended, and 

 flicked back and forth. Then they had a mimic battle with 

 one another, chirping loudly, and this outcry brought a pair 

 of diminutive flycatchers to the scene, and two equally tiny 

 ant-thrushes. Like most small birds, all were absurdly tame 

 and all vented their wrath upon us as we photographed the 

 tinamou nest. A few minutes afterward, several yards 

 away, I surprised a beautiful ocelot lying on a log. This 

 was down a deep gully close to tumbling rapids. The cat 

 hesitated long enough to mouth a silent snarl, then noise- 

 lessly sprang back into the jungle. Last of all, as we left 



