352 , THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



crest, is nearly related to the Manakins. It is a great rarity, 

 even in its own country, and as it dwells in the most secluded 

 forests, is but seldom seen by travellers. Richard Schomburgk 

 relates the following wonderful story of the bird, which, if not 

 proceeding from so trustworthy a source, might almost be con- 

 sidered fabulous. ' A troop of these beautiful birds was cele- 

 brating its dances on the smooth surface of a rock ; about a 

 score of them were seated on the branches as spectators, while 

 one of the male birds, with proud self-confidence, and spread- 

 ing tail and wings, was dancing on the rock. He scratched the 

 ground or leaped vertically into the air, continuing these sal- 

 tatory movements until he was tired, when another male took 

 his place. The females, meanwhile, looked on attentively, and 

 applauded the performance of the dancers with laudatory cries. 

 As the feathers are highly prized, the Indians lay in wait with 

 their blow-pipes near the places where the Eupicolas are known 

 to dance. When once the ball has Ijegun, the birds are so 

 absorbed by their amusement, that the hunter has full time to 

 shoot down several of the spectators with his poisoned arrow^s, 

 before the rest take the alarm.' 



On penetrating into the wilds of Gruiana, the pretty songsters 

 called Troopials, (^Icterus^ Xanthornus) pour forth a variety of 

 sweet and plaintive notes. Resembling the starling by their 

 habits, they unite in troops, and live on insects, berries, and 

 seeds. The variegated Troopial (Oriolus varms) displays a 

 wonderful instinct in the construction of his nest, which he 

 generally builds on fruit-trees ; but when circumstances force 

 him to select a tree whose branches have far less solidity, as, 

 for instance, the weeping willow, his instinct almost rises to a 

 higher intelligence. First, he binds together, by means of bits 

 of straw, the small and flexible branches of the willow, and 

 thus forms a kind of conical basket in which he places his nest, 

 and instead of the usual hemispherical form, he gives it a more 

 elongated shape, and makes it of a looser tissue, so as to render 

 it more elastic and better able to conform to the movements of 

 the branches when agitated by the wind. 



The neat little black and orange Baltimore {Icterus Baltimore ) 

 constructs a still more marvellous nest on the tulip trees, on 

 whose leaves and flowers he seeks the caterpillars and beetles 

 which constitute his principal food. When the time comes for 



