SOUTH AMERICA. 137 



at it, and returns to the branch it had iust left. SECOND 



JOURNEY. 



It seems an indolent, sedentary bird, shunning the 

 society of all others in the forest. It never visits 

 the plantations, but is found at all times of the 

 year in the woods. There are four species of 

 jacamar in Demerara ; they are all beautiful ; the 

 largest, rich and superb in the extreme. Its 

 plumage is of so fine a changing blue and golden 

 green, that it may be ranked with the choicest of 

 the humming-birds. Nature has denied it a song, 

 but given a costly garment in lieu of it. The 

 smallest species of jacamar is very common in the 

 dry savannas. The second size, all golden green 

 on the back, must be looked for in the wallaba 

 forest. The third is found throughout the whole 

 extent of these wilds : and the fourth, which is 

 the largest, frequents the interior, where you 

 begin to perceive stones in the ground. 



When you have penetrated far into Macoushia, The Trou- 

 you hear the pretty songster, called Troupiale, 

 pour forth a variety of sweet and plaintive notes. 

 This is the bird which the Portuguese call the 

 nightingale of Guiana; its predominant colours 

 are rich orange, and shining black, arrayed to 

 great advantage : his delicate and well-shaped 

 frame seems unable to bear captivity. The 

 Indians sometimes bring down troupiales to Sta- 

 broek, but in a few months they languish and die 

 in a cage. They soon become very familiar ; and 

 if you allow them the liberty of the house, they 



