1394 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



HOATZIN ON ITS NEST 



the background whenever the lioatzin comes to 

 mind. This growth loves the water, and crowds 

 down so that the rising of the tide, whether 

 fresh or brackish, covers tlie mud in which it 

 grows, so that it appears to be quite as aquatic 

 as the mangrove which, here and there, creeps 

 out alongside it. 



The pimpler bears thorns of the first magni- 

 tude, often double, recurved and at sucli dia- 

 bolically unexpected places, that like barbed 

 wire, it is imiDossible to grasp anj^where with- 

 out drawing blood. Such a chevaux-de-frise 

 would defend a trench against the most cour- 

 ageous regiment. The stems were light grey, 

 greening toward the younger shoots, and the 

 foliage was pleasantly divided into double lines 

 of locust-like leaflets. 



The plants were in full flower, — daint}^, up- 

 right panicles of wisteria-like pea-blooms, pale 

 violet and white with tiny buds of magenta. A 

 faint, subdued perfume drifted from them 

 through the tangle of branches. The fruit was 

 ripening on many plants, in clusters of green, 

 semi-circular, flat, kidney pods. The low branch- 

 es stretched gracefully waterwards in long 

 sweeping curves. On these at a fork or at the 



crossing of two distinct branches, the hoatzins 

 placed their nests, and with the soft-tissued 

 leaflets they packed their capacious crops and 

 fed their young. 



Besides these two plants, which alone may 

 be considered as forming the principal environ- 

 ment, two blooms were conspicuous at this sea- 

 son ; a deep-calyxed, round blossom of rich yel- 

 law, — an hibiscus, which the Indians called ma- 

 koe, and from the bark of which they made most 

 excellent rope. The other flower was a vine 

 which crept commonly up over the pimpler 

 trees, regardless of water and thorns, and hung 

 out twin blossoms in profusion, pink or pinkish- 

 white, trumpet-shaped, with flaring lips — an 

 Echites of some sort. 



The mid-day life about this haunt of hoatzins 

 was full of interest. Tody-flycatchers of two 

 species, yellow-breasted and streaked, were the 

 commonest birds, and their little homes, like 

 bits of tide-hung drift, swayed from the tips of 

 the pimpler branches. The}^ dashed to and fro 

 regardless of the heat, and wlienever we stopped 

 they came within a foot or two, curiously watch- 

 ing our every motion. Kiskadees hopped along 

 the water's edge in the shade, snatching insects 



