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bluish-silver, which extends in a narrow collar around the neck ;

the breast is yellow, with a greenish reflection on the flanks ;

the wings and tail are yellow, with a bright green edging to each

feather. The whole plumage is very shining, and the eyes black

and brilliant. We frequently shot these birds afterwards.


One day Mr. Hamilton discovered on one of the trees, a

large ripe bunch of bananas which was a perfedt “ rendezvous ”

for birds of many kinds. He would take his stand for a time, under

a neighbouring tree, and the number and variety of birds he got

on this one bunch, was astonishing. He resorted to it every

morning until the bunch was shot complete^ away, when we

replaced it by another. His bag for two mornings consisted of

two species of Toucans, Dusky Tanager, Pale-blue l'anager,

Blue Chatterer (. Procnias tersa), Silver-throated Tanager, two

species of Dacnis, a White-backed Woodpecker ( Melauerpas

pulcher), Red-headed Barbet ( Capito bouciri ), a Hang-nest and

Cassique ( Cassidix oryzivora). These wei'e the species, not the

numbers. On many occasions Mr. Hamilton brought in Wood¬

peckers shot on this bunch ; they were all of the same kind.

The question is if they eat the fruit, or is it possible insects

might have been attracted to it, and it was these the Woodpeckers

came for? When shot, their beaks generally contained some of

the banana. At S. Domingo it was necessary to be up very early

to look for birds, for after about 10.30 there was scarcely a bird to

be seen about compared with the earlier hours. Again about

the close of the afternoon they reappeared.


At the headwaters of the Napo on the Amazonian side,

we first came across the Magpie Tanager ( Cissopsis leveria 7 ia).

This is not the species we see alive in England sometimes,— C.

major . I thought it was till I got my skins home, when I found

mine was a much smaller bird. The total length of the leveriana is

just ioin., otherwise the two kinds seem to me identical. There

may be some other slight difference besides the size, for I have

not yet paid particular attention to them. “ Dominicos ” the

Ecuadorians call them from their black and white plumage.

We did not meet them on the Napo after where the Coca joins

it, but just at that place they were fairly numerous. I used to

observe them flying past our hut, every morning. At the edge

of the forest near by, grew a number of green bushes, and on

the very topmost leaves, the Magpies would alight. I never saw

them settle otherwise than on the very top. These bushes had

clusters of small hard buds 011 them, and it was these they came

to eat. We were there during May and June, and at first I



