364 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



6 o'clock one would call them numerous, and between 6.30 

 and 7.30 they are legion and ferocious. One cannot sit 

 still unprotected for a moment at a time. After 7.30 they 

 all disappear, especially when there is a light wind, but at 

 nine o'clock they arc present in full numbers again. We 

 slept the first night, or rather lay down, on cots with nets. 

 The mosquitoes, or most of them, could apparently easily 

 make their way through the mesh, but when swollen with 

 blood failed to escape again. We slept but little, kept awake 

 by the biting and humming of the wretches. 



From daybreak when we arose until about nine o'clock 

 sand flies held high revel, biting severely, after which all the 

 insect pests vanished and one could decide to postpone 

 suicide until the coming night! After this however we 

 used close cloth nets, which defeated the efforts of the 

 mosquitoes. 



We found so much to interest us on and in the immediate 

 vicinity of the islet that we made no extended trips either up 

 or down the river. In the three days we lived there we 

 observed the following fifty species of birds, nineteen of 

 which (marked with asterisks) were nesting on the islet or 

 within a few yards of it : 



Red-underwing Dove (Leptoptila riifaxilla) . 



* Hoatzin (Opisthocomiis Jwazin). 



* Wood Rail (Aramides cayana) . 

 Purple Gallinule (lonornis mariinica). 

 Great-billed Tern (Phaethusa magnirostris). 

 Eye-browed Tern {Sterna superciliaris). 



* Jacana (Jacana jacana). 

 Wood Ibis (Tantalus loculator). 

 Jabiru {Mycteria americana). 

 Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi). 

 American Egret (Herodias egretta). 



* Guiana Green Heron (Butorides striata) 

 Homed Screamer (Patamedea cornuta). 

 Muscovy Duck {Cairina moschata). 



