THE COCK OF THE ROCK. 351 



forest causes such astonisliment as his toll. With many of the 

 feathered race he pays the common tribute of a song to early 

 morn, and even when the meridian sun has shut in silence the 

 mouths of almost the whole of animated nature, the Campanero 

 still cheers the forest ; you hear his toll, and then a pause for a 

 minute ; then another toll, and then a pause again, and then 

 a toll and again a pause. Then he is silent for six or eight 

 minutes, and then another toll, and so on. Actaeon would stop 

 in mid-chase, Maria would defer her evening song, and Orpheus 

 himself would drop his lute to listen to him, so sweet, so novel 

 and romantic, is the toll of the pretty snow-white Campanero.' 

 The Tangaras resemble our finches, though they are far more 

 splendidly attired. Their plumage is very rich and diversified, 

 some of them boast six separate colours ; others have the blue, 

 purple, green, and black so finely blended into each other that 

 it would be impossible to mark their boundaries ; while others 

 again exhibit them strong, distinct and abrupt. The flight of 

 the Tangaras is rapid, their manners lively. They live upon 

 insects, seeds, berries, and many of them have a fine song 

 Among their numerous species, spread over all the warmej 

 regions of America, the scarlet Piranga is pre-eminent for 

 )eauty, and when in the blooming thickets, along the woody 

 dver's banks, the meridian sun shows off his plumage in all its 

 jplendour, the huntsman pauses to admire the magnificent bird, 

 md delays his murderous aim. 



In the deep forests of Gruiana and Brazil, which they never quit 

 Tor the open plains, reside the Manakins {Pipra), prettv little 

 )irds, whose largest species scarcely attain the dimensions of the 

 sparrow, while the smallest are hardly equal to the wren. The 

 )lumage of the full-grown male is always black, enli\'ened by 

 )rilliant colours, that of the female and of the young birds 



reenish. Their flight is rapid but short, and they generally 

 roost on the middle branches of the trees. In the mornin*>- 

 bhey unite in little troops, and seek their food, which consists 

 )f insects, and small fruit, uttering at the same time their weak 

 )ut melodious notes. As the day advances they separate and 

 jeek the deepest forest-shades, where they live in solitude and 

 jilence. 



The famous orange-coloured Cock of the Kock of Guiana 

 [Rupicola aurantla), which owes its name to its comb-like 



