33§



Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo,



eaters, Spermophila nigroaurantia; a Pileated Finch, Coryphos-

pingus pileatus, called “ Fidalgo ”=gentleman, in Brazil, where it

appears to be thought much of as a cage bird ; and four Siskins

Chrysomitrisyarrelli, were the most notable birds we procured

alive in Bahia. These Siskins I regret to say died, they were in

feeble condition when procured and could not stand the hard

seed and sudden change to colder latitudes when we ran south

to Tristan d’Acunha ; I fancy they are rare cage-birds, and can¬

not recollect to have seen them alive in this country. The little

Sperviophilas were always getting out through the bars of their

cane-made cage and, although freshly caught wild birds, were

most anxious to get back again ; after flying about in the rigging

and into the saloons they would seek the top of their own cage,

and would either be caught or hop in themselves if possible

through' its open door. The little cock of this pair got away

in the night just before we reached England, and was one of

the very few birds we ’lost.


We spent much time on a large island called Itaparica, on

the opposite side of the river to Bahia, very sparsely inhabited

and covered with indigenous forest. To attempt to describe and

enumerate the birds would be impossible here, but the numbers

of species and individuals must be seen to be believed. The

forest teemed with bird life, and those who claim that tropical

birds have no songs, but only squawk and are silent, would be

somewhat surprised at the chorus of song and sweet voices that

came from every quarter. What was particularly striking

amongst the birds here, as we found elsewhere in the Southern

Hemisphere, was the extreme fearlessness of man of almost all

the birds ; nothing seemed afraid of you. Another thing was

that, with all these hosts of birds the greater part of which

appeared to be building, we saw very few nests, either old or

new, and the same applied throughout the Tropics. With half

the amount of birds in England one would have found scores of

nests. Perhaps the prevailing genus, or at any rate the most

obtrusive one, were the Tyranidce, tyrants, and their voices (all

species appeared to have more or less modifications of the same

cry, “ Bien ti veo,” = I see you well) echoed from every quarter,

but Tanagers of many kinds swarmed, the scarlet and maroon



