174 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



At night they returned rather more rapidly — less absorbed 

 in feeding — probably to some roosting place of which they 

 alone knew. With them, night and morning, were a few 

 Red-backed Bunyahs or Cassic[ues,^''^ early nesters from the 

 colony at the dam, of which more anon. The two species 

 seemed to associate closely, although it was evident that it 

 was the Bunyahs which had taken up with the sturdy pioneers 

 from the North. 



A short distance away from the bungalow a huge Mora 

 stood in the forest looking down on all the trees around. 

 The lightning bolt which had torn off its bark and killed it, 

 had also consumed its dense clothing of parasitic vines and 

 bush-ropes. So now it stood with naked, clean wood high 

 above the sea of foliage, and within a day after our arrival we 

 had christened it the Toucan Mora. 



In the evening, about on the stroke of seven, the first comers 

 would arrive — a trio of Black-banded Aracaris *" which 

 alight and ])reen their feathers. These may remain quiet for 

 about twenty minutes, but more often take to flight at the 

 approach of a screaming flock of eight or ten Mealy Amazon 

 Parrots "' which scatter over the branches. But the other 

 species of Toucans are now awake and soon the Parrots are 

 in turn driven off, and four or Ave big-billed fellows usurp 

 the dead Mora and sun themselves or call loudly to the Vul- 

 tures swinging high overhead. There are two species of these 

 larger Toucans, the Red-billed '^ and the Sulphur and White- 

 breasted,*" and they seem to live together amicably, but war 

 with the small Aracaris. The notes of the Red-billed Toucans 

 are like the yapping of a puppy, uttered in pairs and dift'er- 

 ing slightly, thus, yap! yip! yap! yip! The great mandibles 

 are opened and thrown upward at each utterance. The 

 brilliant white-breasted birds call loudly kiok! kiok! in a high, 

 shrill tone very unlike that of their fellows. 



Morning and evening the Toucans and Parrots pass, 



