SOUTH AMERICA. 303 



brown tanned leather, and without any particle F 



* JO 



of lining. The rim of the nest is doubled in- 

 wards, and I always conjectured that it had taken 

 this shape, on account of the body of the bird 

 pressing against it, while she was laying her 

 eggs. But this was quite a wrong conjecture. 

 Instinct has taught the bird to give it this shape", 

 in order that the eggs may be prevented from 

 rolling out. 



The trees on the river's bank are particularly 

 exposed to violent gusts of wind, and while I 

 have been sitting in the canoe, and looking on, 

 I have seen the slender branch of the tree which 

 held the humming-bird's nest so violently shaken, 

 that the bottom of the inside of the nest has 

 appeared, and had there been nothing at the rim 

 to stop the eggs, they must inevitably have been 

 jerked out into the water. I suspect the hum- 

 ming-bird never lays more than two eggs. I 

 never found more than two in any of the many 

 nests which have come in my way. The eggs 

 were always white, without any spots on them. 



Probably travellers have erred in asserting that 

 the monkies of South America throw sticks and 

 fruit at their pursuers. I have had fine oppor- 

 tunities of narrowly watching the different species 

 of monkies which are found in the wilds, betwixt 

 the Amazons and the Oroonoque. I entirely ac- 

 quit them of acting on the offensive. When the 

 monkies are in the high trees over your head, 



