158 UP THE RIVER OF TAPIRS [chap, v 



were wonderful. There were many whip-poor-wiUs, or 

 rather Brazihan birds related to them ; they uttered at 

 intervals through the night a succession of notes sug- 

 gesting both those of our whip-poor-will and those of our 

 big chuck-wUl's-widow of the Gulf States, but not 

 identical with either. There were other birds which 

 were nearly akin to famihar birds of the United States : 

 a dull-coloured catbird, a dull-coloured robin, and a 

 sparrow belonging to the same genus as our common 

 song-sparrow and sweetheart sparrow ; Miller had heard 

 this sparrow singing by day and night, fourteen thousand 

 feet up on the Andes, and its song suggested the songs 

 of both of our sparrows. There were doves and wood- 

 peckers of various species. Other birds bore no re- 

 semblance to any of ours. One honey-creeper was a 

 perfect little gem, with plumage that was black, purple, 

 and turquoise, and brilliant scarlet feet. Two of the 

 birds which Cherrie and MiUer procured were of extra- 

 ordinaiy nesting habits. One, a nunlet, in shape re- 

 sembles a short-taUed bluebird. It is plumbeous, with 

 a fulvous belly and white tail coverts. It is a stupid 

 little bird, and does not like to fly away even when shot 

 at. It catches its prey and ordinarily acts like a rather 

 duU flycatcher, perching on some dead tree, swooping on 

 insects and then returning to its perch, and never going 

 on the ground to feed or run about. But it nests in 

 burrows which it digs itself, one bird usually digging, 

 whUe the other bird perches in a bush near by. Some- 

 times these burrows are in the side of a sand-bank, the 

 the sand being so loose that it is a marvel that it does 

 not cave in. Sometimes the burrows are in the level 

 plain, running down about three feet, and then rising 

 at an angle. The nest consists of a few leaves and 

 grasses, and the eggs are white. The other bird, called 



