204 ACROSS NHAMBIQUARA LAND [chap, vii 



nameless Brazilians, who were merely endeavouring to 

 make new homes or advance their private fortunes : in 

 recent years by rubber-gatherers, for instance, and a 

 century ago by those bold and restless adventurers, 

 partly of Portuguese and partly of Indian blood, the 

 Paolistas, from one of whom Colonel Kondon is himself 

 descended on his father's side. 



The camp by this river was in some old and grown- 

 up fields, once the seat of a rather extensive maize and 

 mandioc cultivation by the Nhambiquaras. On this day 

 Cherrie got a number of birds new to the collection, and 

 two or three of them probably new to science. We had 

 found the birds for the most part in worn plumage, for 

 the breeding season, the southern spring and northern 

 faU, was over. But some birds were stiU breeding. In 

 the tropics the breeding season is more irregular than in 

 the north. Some birds breed at very different times 

 from that chosen by the majority of their fellows ; some 

 can hardly be said to have any regular season ; Cherrie 

 had found one species of honey-creeper breeding in eveiy 

 month of the year. Just before sunset and just after 

 sunrise big, noisy, blue-and-yellow macaws flew over 

 this camp. They were plentiful enough to form a loose 

 flock, but each pair kept to itself, the two individuals 

 always close together and always separated from the 

 rest. Although not an abundant, it was an interesting, 

 fauna which the two naturahsts found in this upland 

 country, where hitherto no collections of birds and 

 mammals had been made. MiUer trapped several species 

 of opossums, mice, and rats which were new to him. 

 Cherrie got many birds which he did not recognize. At 

 this camp, among totally strange forms, he found an old 

 and familiar acquaintance. Before breakfast he brought 

 in several birds : a dark-coloured flycatcher, with white 



