298 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



only by the fact that flocks of these particular birds had 

 arrived suddenly from some distant part, probably at- 

 tracted by a fruit or insect which chanced to be plentiful at 

 the time, and upon which they fed. 



Several miles from port, and entirely concealed by the 

 forest, stretches a lagoon of considerable size; it is con- 

 nected with the Chapare by a small, brush-clogged creek, 

 but the water is stagnant and filled with decaying vegeta- 

 tion and detritus. Masses of bushes and swamp-grass 

 grow all along the borders, and in some sections the sur- 

 face of the water is covered with floating, aquatic plants. 

 As may be supposed, many species of birds live both about 

 the water and in the dense thickets that line the banks. 

 Among the former was the rare little sun-grebe, but it was 

 by no means abundant; the few solitary individuals we saw 

 were always surprised out in the open water and, after giv- 

 ing a series of hoarse, loud cries, either flew or swam as 

 rapidly as possible to the nearest clump of vegetation, 

 which offered a secure retreat. Graceful jacanas stepped 

 about daintily on the lily-pads; their toes are very long and 

 give the feet a wide spread, thus enabling the birds to walk 

 on the floating little islands of water-hyacinths and wild 

 lettuce; for this reason the natives call them pajaro de Jesu- 

 cristo, because they can "walk on the water." 



Several species of flycatchers and large, noisy wrens 

 (Donacobia) lived in the partly submerged bushes; we found 

 several of the bulky, domed grass nests of the former, but 

 it was almost invariably impossible to reach them as they 

 always harbored colonies of biting ants, which rushed out 

 in maddened frenzy when the nest was touched; however, 

 the birds and ants seemed to live in perfect harmony. 



In the tangles of tall bamboo growing on the bank and 

 drooping out over the water lived flocks of hoatzins and 

 numbers of several species of dendrocolaptine birds or wood- 

 hewers; also an occasional water- turkey and cormorant. 

 Many black-and-white ibises soared above in circles and 

 at a great height; they acted not unlike vultures, but the 



