152 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



leaves begin to detach themselves from the stem ; they climb 

 from the ground to its summit in spiral convolutions, forming 

 a dense cover for many animals — ichneumons, squirrels, and 

 monkeys, that resort to it for concealment. In these hiding- 

 places the latter might easily defy the sportsman ; but they 

 frequently fall victims to a silly curiosity, for when he is 

 accompanied by his dog, they cannot resist the temptation of 

 watching the animal's movements, and, coming forth to peep, 

 expose themselves to a fatal shot. 



Tlie stalks of the decayed leaves remain partly attached to 

 the trunk, affording supports to a profusion of climbing and 

 epiphytic plants, which hide the stem under a brilliant tapestry 

 of flower and verdure. 



When the spathes of the fruit-bearing trees exhibit them- 

 selves, the toddy-drawer forthwith commences his operations, 

 climbing by the assistance of a loop of flexible jungle-vine, 

 sufficiently wide to admit both his ancles and leave a space 

 between them, thus enabling him to grasp the trunk of the 

 tree with his feet and support himself as he ascends. Having 

 pruned off" the stalks of fallen leaves, and cleansed the crown 

 from old fruit-stalks and other superfluous matter, he binds the 

 spathes tightly with thongs to prevent them from farther 

 expansion, and descends, after having thoroughly bruised the 

 embryo flowers within to facilitate the exit of the juice. For 

 several succeeding mornings the operation of crushing is 

 repeated, and each day a thin slice is taken off" the end of the 

 racemes, to facilitate the exit of the sap and prevent its bursting 

 the spathe. About the eighth morning the sap begins to 

 exude, an event which is notified by the immediate appearance 

 of birds, especially of the ' toddy bird,' a species of shrike, 

 {Artainus fuscus), attracted by tlie flies and other insects 

 which come to feed on the luscious juice of the palm. The 

 crows, ever on the alert when any unusual movement is in pro- 

 gress, keep up a constant chattering and wrangling ; and about 

 this time the palmyra becomes the resort of the palm-martin 

 and the graceful genet, which frequent the trees in quest of 

 birds. On ascertaining that the first flow of the sap has taken 

 place, the toddy-drawer again trims the wounded spathe, and 

 inserts its extremity in an earthen chatty to collect the juice. 

 Morning and evening these vessels are emptied, and for four 



