284 EXCURSIONS AROUND EGA. Chap. IV. 
a thick pad of glossy steel-blue feathers, which grow on 
a long fleshy lobe or excrescence. This lobe is connected 
(as I found on skinning specimens) with an unusual 
development of the trachea and vocal organs, to which 
the bird doubtless owes its singularly deep, loud, and 
long-sustained fluty note. The Indian name of this 
strange creature is Uira-mimbeu, or fife-bird,* in 
allusion to the tone of its voice. We had the good luck, 
after remaining quiet a short time, to hear its perform- 
ance. It drew itself up on its perch, spread widely the 
umbrella-formed crest, dilated and waved its glossy 
breast-lappet, and then, in giving vent to its loud piping 
note, bowed its head slowly forwards. We obtained a 
pair, male and female : the female has only the rudi- 
ments of the crest and lappet, and is duller-coloured 
altogether than the male. The range of this bird ap- 
pears to be quite confined to the plains of the Upper 
Amazons (especially the Ygapo forests), not having 
been found to the east of the Kio Negro. 
Bento and our other friends being disappointed in 
finding no more Curassows, or indeed any other species 
of game, now resolved to turn back. On reaching the 
edge of the forest we sat down and ate our dinners under 
the shade ; each man having brought a little bag con- 
taining a few handsfuU of farinha, and a piece of fried 
fish or roast turtle. We expected our companions of the 
other division to join us at mid-day, but after waiting 
till past one o'clock without seeing anything of them 
(in fact, they had returned to the hats an hour or two 
* Mimbeu is the Indian name for a rude kind of pan-pipes used by 
tlie Caishanas and other tribes. 
