220 WANDERINGS IN 



Third nevei* failed to hit them with his arrow. The weather was 

 tJelightful. There was scarcely a cloud to intercept the 

 sun's rays. 



Birds. I saw several scarlet Aras, Anhingas, and ducks, but 



could not get a shot at them. The parrots crossed the 

 river in innumerable quantities, always flying in pairs. 

 Here, too, I saw the Sun-bird, called Tirana by the 

 Spaniards in the Oroonoque, and shot one of them. The 

 black and Avhite scarlet -headed Finch was very common 

 here. I could never see this bird in the Demerara, nor 

 hear of its being there. 



We at last came to a large sand-bank, probably two 

 miles in circumference. As we approached it we could 

 see two or three hundred fresh-water turtle on the edge 

 of the bank. Ere we could get near enough to let fly an 

 arrow at them, they had all sunk into the river and 

 appeared no more. 



Turtle s We wcut on the sand-bank to look for their nests, 



nests* 



as this was the breeding season. The coloured man 

 showed us how to find them. Wherever a portion 

 of the sand seemed smoother than the rest, there was 

 sure to be a turtle's nest. On digging down with our 

 hands, about nine inches deep, we found from twenty to 

 thirty white eggs ; in less than an hour we got above 

 two hundred. Those which had a little black spot or 

 two on the shell we ate the same day, as it was a sign 

 that they were not fresh, and of course would not keep : 



