﻿404 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  landing 
  one 
  finds 
  the 
  streets 
  narrow 
  and 
  dirty 
  ; 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  

   relief 
  to 
  get 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  town 
  and 
  into 
  the 
  magnificent 
  

   tropical 
  forests. 
  In 
  these 
  forests 
  one 
  sees 
  gorgeous 
  birds 
  and 
  

   butterflies, 
  and 
  I 
  here 
  met 
  with 
  my 
  first 
  Humming-birds. 
  The 
  

   most 
  abundant 
  species 
  of 
  Humming-bird 
  is 
  Chrysolampis 
  mos- 
  

   chitus, 
  although 
  the 
  handsome 
  long-tailed 
  Eupetomena 
  macrura 
  

   is 
  also 
  common. 
  These 
  two 
  birds 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  together 
  in 
  

   plenty 
  round 
  the 
  big 
  flowering 
  plants 
  and 
  trees 
  ; 
  their 
  flight 
  is 
  

   exceedingly 
  rapid, 
  and 
  whilst 
  they 
  are 
  hovering 
  over 
  the 
  blos- 
  

   soms 
  their 
  wings 
  are 
  moved 
  with 
  such 
  extraordinary 
  rapidity 
  

   that 
  they 
  produce 
  the 
  loud 
  humming, 
  from 
  which 
  these 
  birds 
  

   have 
  got 
  their 
  name. 
  About 
  the 
  streets 
  in 
  the 
  town 
  one 
  meets 
  

   with 
  a 
  little 
  bird 
  somewhat 
  resembling 
  our 
  Wheatear 
  in 
  its 
  

   actions, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  paler 
  in 
  colour. 
  This 
  is 
  Fluvicola 
  clima- 
  

   cura, 
  called 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  " 
  Washerwoman." 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  

   favourite 
  with 
  the 
  natives, 
  and 
  is 
  consequently 
  very 
  tame. 
  In 
  

   the 
  open 
  glades 
  in 
  the 
  forest 
  we 
  met 
  with 
  many 
  birds, 
  Tyrant 
  

   Flycatchers 
  being 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  abundant, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  

   tops 
  of 
  the 
  tall 
  trees 
  the 
  loud 
  cry 
  of 
  Tyrannus 
  meJandtolicus 
  is 
  

   continually 
  heard. 
  Woodpeckers 
  are 
  very 
  numerous, 
  and 
  the 
  

   beautiful 
  Red 
  Tanager 
  (Rhamphocoelus 
  brasilius) 
  is 
  constantly 
  

   met 
  with 
  near 
  the 
  glades 
  and 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  forest. 
  In 
  these 
  open 
  

   grassy 
  tracts 
  one 
  sees 
  narrow 
  pathways, 
  where 
  the 
  grass 
  has 
  

   been 
  completely 
  worn 
  away 
  by 
  the 
  continual 
  passing 
  and 
  re- 
  

   passing 
  of 
  the 
  Umbrella 
  Ants. 
  It 
  is 
  soon 
  seen 
  why 
  these 
  ants 
  

   have 
  got 
  this 
  trivial 
  name 
  applied 
  to 
  them, 
  as 
  they 
  carry 
  large 
  

   pieces 
  of 
  leaves 
  in 
  their 
  mouths, 
  with 
  which 
  they 
  completely 
  

   conceal 
  themselves. 
  On 
  Jan. 
  5th 
  we 
  left 
  Bahia 
  for 
  Monte 
  Video. 
  

   Most 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  we 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  tropics 
  we 
  of 
  course 
  saw 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  Flying 
  Fishes. 
  I 
  believe 
  there 
  is 
  considerable 
  

   diversity 
  of 
  opinion 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  Flying 
  Fish 
  move 
  their 
  wings 
  

   or 
  not 
  during 
  their 
  flight. 
  I 
  spent 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  time 
  watching 
  

   them, 
  and 
  am 
  fully 
  convinced 
  that 
  they 
  do 
  move 
  their 
  wings, 
  

   but 
  with 
  such 
  a 
  rapid 
  shivering 
  movement 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  almost 
  im- 
  

   perceptible. 
  I 
  caught 
  one 
  Flying 
  Fish 
  (Exocoetus 
  evolans), 
  which 
  

   had 
  flown 
  on 
  board. 
  I 
  at 
  once 
  placed 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  bath 
  of 
  sea- 
  

   water, 
  to 
  see 
  what 
  use, 
  if 
  any, 
  it 
  made 
  of 
  its 
  wings 
  (I 
  call 
  them 
  

   wings 
  now 
  for 
  simplicity's 
  sake) 
  when 
  in 
  the 
  water. 
  It 
  appeared 
  

   that 
  while 
  the 
  fish 
  was 
  swimming 
  it 
  kept 
  them 
  pressed 
  close 
  to 
  

  

  