THE HAUNTS OF THE PARROT. II9 



hailed the first sight of a mountain palm. As it is 

 never found at less than two thousand feet above the 

 sea, its presence assured us of cool breezes ; and not 

 only of cool breezes but of possible approach to the 

 region of the parrots. 



The great Imperial Parrot, the " Cicero " of the 

 Indians, the Chrysotis augusta of ornithologists, 

 delights to feed upon the seeds of this tree. We did 

 not, however, hear any cry or noise betokening their 

 presence, for at noon in the tropics all animal life is 

 silent. 



We went up and on for several hours into a region 

 of palms and " gommier trees," and at last halted be- 

 neath towering trees, on a carpet of green, where we 

 threw ourselves upon the ground. My boys were 

 soon refreshed and sprang up again to seek water, 

 far down the hill. 



While they were gone I lay upon my back, study- 

 ing the forms of the various trees above me. They 

 formed a perfect canopy of green which the sun could 

 not pierce. Exceeding all others in height, as well 

 as in usefulness, is the tree known to the natives as 

 the "gommier," or gum-tree {Bursera gummifcra) . 

 Some of the trunks are eight feet in diameter, throw 

 out huge buttresses on all sides, like the wall-supports 

 of a Gothic church, and rise into the air one hundred 

 feet. The seeds of this tree are favorite food of 

 the parrots and wood-pigeons. Its branches and 

 trunk are completely hidden in a wealth of parasitic 

 growth and lianes. This is the tree used by the 

 Caribs, even at the present day, for their canoes. 

 From a single trunk they hollow out, by means of 

 fire and axe, a canoe in the rough. This is most 



