J. Delacour—Notes of a Bird-lover in Tropical America 155


pushed by running convicts, which is a means of transport in the jungle

existing nowhere else.


The Director of the Administration came to see me on the quay ;

he placed at my disposal a fine and spacious house, surrounded by

a large garden with outbuildings which served admirably for the

installation of my collection. With the aid of the convicts, who were

given to us as servants, we quickly settled in. We arranged a laboratory,

bird-rooms, aviaries, and enclosures. Our greatest help was an old

convict, the guardian of the house, who gave many proofs of his good¬

will. His Picardv accent drew my attention, and I soon discovered

that he came from Villers-Bretonneux, my own village of the Somme ;

he knew my grandfather, and after 35 years of exile he was quite

overcome at seeing a member of my family. His crime, a small burglary

—a very light one compared with those of most of his comrades, had

been augmented by his many attempts at escape ; and as he himself

says, the Bamboos Cemetery awaits him ; that cemetery, however,

is pretty, surrounded by immense bamboos, as tall as European trees.

During all my stay there, this man proved himself absolutely

dependable.


After having installed the Venezuelan livestock that w r e had brought

with us, we occupied ourselves in procuring Guiana species. I engaged

some liberated convicts who make it their profession to catch birds

to sell skins ; they use blowpipes with wonderful skill; in addition

to that, I provided them with traps, explaining to them how they

should be used. Every day they brought me in something they had

captured, which my assistant, Mr. F. Fooks, looked after.


There are many interesting birds in the town. Some Humming¬

birds (Thalurania and Phcetornis) visited our garden every morning ;

in the large mango-trees Trogons call with a monotonous cry, while

hundreds of blue, palm, maroon, and black Tanagers swarm in the

trees. Amongst the long grass and shrubs are numerous Violet

Tanagers, Saffron Finches, Seed-eaters of different species, and glossy,

black Jacarinis. In the courtyards Passerine Doves run about fear¬

lessly ; the Black Vultures encumber the streets and yards, while

large Martins (Progne chalybea) cover the roof of the hospital, where

they settle or fly about. They are close relations of the purple Martin

of the United States.



