HOATZINS AT HOME 135 



Now the brave little hoatzin reached up to 

 some tiny side twigs and aided by the project- 

 ing ends of dead sticks from the nest, he climbed 

 with facility, his thumbs and forefingers appar- 

 ently being of more aid than his feet. It was 

 fascinating to see him ascend, stopping now and 

 then to crane his head and neck far out, turtle- 

 wise. He met every difficulty with some new 

 contortion of body or limbs, often with so quick 

 or so subtle a shifting as to escape my scrutiny. 

 The branch ended in a tiny crotch and here 

 perforce, ended his attempt at escape by climb- 

 ing. He stood on the swaying twig, one wing 

 clutched tight, and braced himself with both 

 feet. 



Nearer and nearer crept Sam. Not a quiver 

 on the part of the little hoatzin. We did not 

 know it, but inside that ridiculous head there 

 was definite decision as to a deadline. He 

 watched the approach of this great, strange 

 creature — this Danger, this thing so wholly new 

 and foreign to his experience, and doubtless to 

 all the generations of his forbears. A black 

 hand grasped the thorny branch six feet from 

 his perch, and like a flash he played his next 

 trick — the only remaining one he knew, one that 



