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


The Bumble-bee Cock ( Lophornis ornatus).


The Topaz ( T halurania fur cat a ).


The Solitaire ( Florisuga mellivora).


The Bumble-bee Fly ( Chrysolampis moschitus).


The Gilded Green ( Galbida viridis).


The Louis d’or (20 franc coin), ( Euphonia violacea).


The Seven-colour ( Calliste paradisea).


The Silver-bill ( Rhamphoccelus carbo).


The Electric Green (ChloropJianes spiza).


The Blue Yelveted ( Cyanerpes cyaneus).


The Street Arab ( Lathrea cinerea).


The Partridge Hen ( Cryturus soui).


And last, but not least, “ The bird my father,” so named on account

of its rotund figure, serious mien, and bald head ! A brown bird, the

size of a rook ( Calvifrons calms). The famous bell-bird is a relative.


During the six weeks I spent in the Maroni district I went to the

forest nearly every day ; in a truck or a launch I reached the proposed

6pots, then walked through the jungle, followed by a few convicts.

Now and then, I undertook trips of several days through the virgin

forest or on the rivers, from Mana, on the coast, to above the Hermina

Falls, the first rapids of the Maroni, always escorted by my convicts,

whose behaviour was exemplary throughout. It is amusing, at night,

in the camp to listen to the confidences of the men. They generally

try to present their crime in the most favourable light, and if they were

to be believed they always had to do with murders committed in a

moment of passion. It is well worth hearing them speak shamefacedly

of their “ misfortune ” ! I ought to say that the murderers form a

sort of aristocracy in the Penal Settlement, looking down upon the

thieves ! Those, they say, have acted with malice prepense ; the

assassins, on the contrary, have just let themselves go for a moment,

but remain honest men !


The aspect of the virgin forest varies very little. Where the soil

is sandy and less rich, the big trees are replaced by the enormous

Maripa and thorny Awara Palms ( Maximiliana and Astrocaryum),

which make excellent salad.


In marshy ground the slender and elegant Pinot and Cornos Palms



