122



they seem to cover space so rapidly. It is a curious thing that

the colours of these birds which are so remarkably brilliant in

some of the species, are imperceptible when flying overhead,

even at no great height; which is due to seeing them against

the bright skies. It was impossible to distinguish then, the

difference between the Scarlet, and the Blue-and-Yellow

Macaws. But at sunset it was another thing, when the slanting

rays of the sun lighted up the beautiful colours of the under

sides. On our long canoe journey down the Napo, I always

looked forward to this, the pleasantest hour of the day. Then

for an hour or more a continuous stream of Macaws and Parrots

would pass overhead with their incessant harsh cries. The

Parrots (mostly of the genus Chrysotis ) would be in flocks of

from four to six, up to fifty or sixty ; but the Macaws, seldom

more than fourteen or sixteen together, and more often less.

On dozens of occasions I have counted them and always, found

them in even numbers. Sometimes I thought I had at last

found an odd number, but, without fail, the straggler would

come hurrying on not far behind. The Macaws always seemed

to prefer a certain kind of tree to sleep in—a large roomy tree,

which rose rather above the general forest level, and which bore

its leaves mostly on the outside. Wherever we were, they always

went to the West to sleep, and likewise in the morning returned

East. They took a long time to settle down at night, and

seemed by the noise to have a pitched-battle before doing so.

Their usual rising time was about 6.30, but if the mornings were

dull and the forest mists hung about later than usual, they

would not start off to breakfast until 8 o’clock. The Macaws

choose the highest sites obtainable for their nests, and seem to>

prefer a hole on the under side of a sloping branch.


In travelling down through Colombia, I remember one

place where we came across a number of the Military Macaws ;

they were passing over a very small valley and were just below

us, and it was a pretty sight to look down upon them as we did

then. I was surprised to find them there, for the altitude must

have been near 5,000 feet. I have always found the flesh of all

the Parrot tribe very tough to eat, whichever way one cooks it;

but if a papaia tree is at hand, and one wraps the carcase in one

of the leaves for a day, it renders it fairly tender. At Santo

Domingo we usually fared pretty well in the matter of food, and

despised the carcases of all the birds we skinned, except the

Game Birds and Pigeons ; but to the people of the hut we lived

in, all was grist that came to the mill, and they boiled up



