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be compared to the croaking of our crows, 

 which, in the pine forests of the North, live in 

 society, and construct their nests upon trees, 

 the tops of which touch each other. The shrill 

 and piercing cries of the guacharoes strike upon 

 the vaults of the rocks, and are repeated by the 

 echo in the depth of the cavern. The Indians 

 showed us the nests of these birds, by fixing 

 torches to the end of a long pole. These nests 

 were fifty or sixty feet high above our heads, in 

 holes in the shape of funnels, with which the 

 roof of the grotto is pierced like a sieve. The 

 noise increased as we advanced, and the birds 

 were affrighted by the light of the torches of 

 copal. When this noise ceased a few minutes 

 around us, we heard at a distance the plaintive 

 cries of the birds roosting in other ramifications 

 of the cavern. It seemed as if these bands an- 

 swered each other alternately. 



The Indians enter into the Cueva del Gua- 

 charo once a year, near midsummer, armed 

 with poles, by means of which they destroy the 

 greater part of the nests. At this season several 

 thousands of birds are killed ; and the old ones, 

 as if to defend their brood, hover over the heads 

 of the Indians, uttering terrible cries. The 

 young % which fall to the ground, are opened 

 on the spot. Their peritoneum is extremely 



* Los polios del Guacharo. 



