234 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 



and seemingly healthy place. Doubtless when settlement 

 is sufficiently advanced a remedy will be developed. The 

 geology of this neighborhood was interesting — Oliveira 

 found fossil tree-trunks which he believed to be of cre- 

 taceous age. 



Here we found Amilcar and Mello, who had waited 

 for us with the rear-guard of their pack-train, and we 

 enjoyed our meeting with the two fine fellows, than whom 

 no military service of any nation could produce more 

 efficient men for this kind of difficult and responsible 

 work. Next morning they mustered their soldiers, mule- 

 teers, and pack-ox men and marched off. Reinisch the 

 taxidermist was with them. We followed in the late 

 afternoon, camping after a few miles. We left the ox- 

 cart at Campos Novos ; from thence on the trail was only 

 for pack-animals. 



In this neighborhood the two naturalists found many 

 birds which we had not hitherto met. The most conspic- 

 uous was a huge oriole, the size of a small crow, with a 

 naked face, a black-and-red bill, and gaudily variegated 

 plumage of green, yellow, and chestnut. Very interest- 

 ing was the false bell-bird, a gray bird with loud, metallic 

 notes. There was also a tiny soft-tailed woodpecker, no 

 larger than a kinglet ; a queer humming-bird with a slight- 

 ly flexible bill ; and many species of ant-thrush, tanager, 

 manakin, and tody. Among these unfamiliar forms was 

 a vireo looking much like our solitary vireo. At one 

 camp Cherrie collected a dozen perching birds ; Miller a 

 beautiful little rail; and Kermit, with the small Liiger 

 belt-rifle, a handsome curassow, nearly as big as a turkey 

 — out of which, after it had been skinned, the cook made 



