THE DESCENT OF THE RIO GY-PARANA 261 



for medical treatment. I was particularly eager to spend 

 some time at Calama, as the locality appeared to offer un- 

 usual opportunities for zoological work. After a few days 

 of thorough rest the Brazilian members of the party started 

 up-river to Santo Antonio, for a tour of the Madeira-Ma- 

 mor6 railroad, while I remained to investigate the fauna 

 of the region. 



The country back of Calama is high and undulating, so 

 that it remains untouched by the water that covers the 

 lowlands during the wet season. A small space which had 

 been cleared aroimd the building was covered with a fine 

 growth of grass and low bushes, and served as pasture for 

 a few head of cattle; small birds, such as flycatchers, grass- 

 finches, and tanagers teemed in the opening, and many 

 thick-billed green parrots squawked in the tree-tops at the 

 edge of the forest. A short distance below the landing there 

 was an extensive swamp and many small brush-covered 

 islands; masses of aquatic plants floated in the quiet, open 

 pools, conspicuous among which was the beautiful Victoria 

 regia, with leaves four feet in diameter. In the dense, tan- 

 gled vegetation that grew out of the black depths of the 

 murky swamp-water we found flocks of hoatzins, or lizard- 

 birds, ctwious archaic creatures which retain some of the 

 characteristics of their reptilian ancestors; they are about 

 the size of a pheasant, of an oUve color above and yellow- 

 ish below; a high crest crowns the head, and they possess 

 only a limited power of flight. It was the height of the 

 nesting-season, and many of the fragile platforms of sticks 

 contained two or three yellowish eggs, heavily spotted 

 with reddish-brown; the wings of the yoimg are provided 

 with long, sharp claws which enable them to climb about 

 over the branches like lizards; hence their name. 



All travelling through the swamp had to be done in a 

 canoe; and pushing the dugout through the almost sohd 

 mass of branches and creepers was a difllicult task. Every 

 twig seemed to swarm with small red ants, called fire-ants, 

 on account of the intense burning sensation produced by 



