106 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA, 



breast like tlie English magpie : about an inch of the 

 extremity of the tail is white, the other part of it, 

 together with the back and wings, a greyish changing 

 purple ; the belly is white. There are generally six or 

 eiglit of them in company ; they are shy and garrulous, 

 and tarry a very short time in one place ; they are 

 never seen in the cultivated parts. 



Through the whole extent of the forest, chiefly from 

 sunrise till nine o'clock in the morning, you hear a 

 sound of " wow, wow, wow, wow.'' This is the bird 

 called Boclora by the Indians. It is smaller 

 than the common pigeon, and seems, in some 

 measure, to partake of its nature : its head and breast 

 are blue ; the back and rump somewhat resemble the 

 colour on the peacock's neck ; its belly is a bright 

 yellow ; the legs are so very short that it always appears 

 as if sitting on the branch ; it is as ill adapted for 

 walking as the swallow ; its neck, for about an inch all 

 round, is quite bare of feathers ; but this deficienc}" is 

 not seen, for it always sits with its head drawn in upon 

 its shoulders. It sometimes feeds with the cotingas on 

 the guava and hitia-trees ; but its chief nutriment 

 seems to be insects, and, like most birds w^hich follow 

 this prey, its chaps are well armed with bristles : it is 

 found in Demerara at all times of the year, and makes 

 a nest resembling that of the stock dove. This bird 

 never takes long flights, and when it crosses a river or 

 creek, it goes by long jerks. 



The boclora is very unsuspicious, appearing quite 

 heedless of danger : the report of a gun within twenty 

 yards will not cause it to leave the branch on which it 

 is sitting, and you may often approach it so near as 

 almost to touch it with the end of your bow. Perhaps 



