124 



A FLYING TRIP TO THE TROPICS. 



much lower than when we came up. We saw quantities of alli- 

 gators, and shot at them many times. We struck a number, but 

 killed very few. Cabell killed a tremendous one, and we wished 

 very much that we could have gotten it. It was fully 250 yards 

 distant, and he killed it with the 32 Winchester after firing four shots 

 at it. Captain Bradford, who is an excellent shot, joined us in the 

 shooting. He used a M-calibre Remington, which was much more 

 effective than the lio ht Winchester. About noon we made a short 

 stop at Puerto Berrio. I hurried ashore with my gun, and in a 

 few moments shot a new toucan. It was similar in size and colora- 

 tion to the one killed by Mr. Lindauer on the up trip. The beak 

 of this one, however, was plain, not serrate, and was chocolate- 

 brown, almost black below, greenish yellow on top, becoming pure 

 yellow at the tip. The skin of its face was a bright lemon-green, 

 feet lead-blue. The colors of the plumage were like those of the 

 first one, except that the rump was white {IiCimj^hastos amhiguus). 

 This was a male, and was one of a large scattered flock. 



We did not tie up for the night until it was too late to go ashore. 

 I saw during the day some capybaras, two kinds of macaws, some 

 guacharacas, and four kinds of toucans, the three of which we have 

 obtained specimens and a fourth whose under parts seemed largely 

 red. 



The steward bought for the table a large turtle, or rather terrapin. 

 It had a smooth shell, a uniformly colored skin, a sharp pointed and 

 snake-like head with the eyes much nearer the tip of the nose than 

 in our river terrapins. The poor reptile was secured by having its 

 feet sewn together. It was clear and hot and rained at night. 



Monday, July 18, 1892. We started very early, and made a good 

 day's run, passing Bodega Central, Puerto Nacional, and other 

 places, but made no stop long enough to go ashore for birds. 

 We shot a great many times at alligators. I saw several iguanas 

 at the mouth of the river Lebrija. At Puerto Nacional there was 

 one on the river's bank, and getting between it and the trees, I 

 made an attempt to catch it ; but without the slightest hesitation 



