A YARD OF JUNGLE 249 



yielded fourteen more, only one of which was a 

 duplicate of the first day's results. 



The bird visitors to the tree arrived in one 

 of two characteristic ways. Many came direct 

 and swiftly, singly or in pairs, flying straight 

 and with decision. These came from a distance, 

 with full knowledge of the berries. They fed 

 quietly, and when satiated flew off. The second 

 method of arrival was wholly casual, — loose 

 flocks drifting slowly from the neighboring jun- 

 gle, sifting into the tree, and feeding for a time 

 before passing on. When these left it was 

 rather hastily, and in answer to the chirps and 

 calls of the members of their flock who had not 

 been beguiled by the berries and hence had 

 forged steadily ahead. 



These more or less well-defined flocks are 

 very characteristic of all tropical jungles. Little 

 assemblages of flycatchers, callistes, tanagers, 

 antbirds, manakins, woodhewers, and woodpeck- 

 ers are drawn together by some intangible but 

 very social instinct. Day after day they unite in 

 these fragile fraternities which drift along, glean- 

 ing from leaves, flowers, branches, trunks, or 

 ground, each bird according to its structure and 

 way of Ufe. They are so held together by an 



