344 
ANIMALS OF EGA. 
Chap. Y. 
flocks in the forest near Ega in May and June, when 
it has completed its moult. I did not find these bands 
congregated at fruit-trees, but always wandering through 
the forest, hopping from branch to branch amongst the 
lower trees, and partly concealed amongst the foliage. 
None of the Arassaris, to my knowledge, make a 
yelping noise like that uttered by the larger Toucans 
(Ramphastos) ; the notes of the curl-crested species 
are very singular, resembling the croaking of frogs. 
I had an amusing adventure one day with these birds. 
I had shot one from a rather high tree in a dark glen 
in the forest, and leaving my gun leaning against a 
tree-trunk in the pathway, went into the thicket where 
the bird had fallen, to secure my booty. It was only 
wounded, and on my attempting to seize it, it set up a 
loud scream. In an instant, as if by magic, the shady 
nook seemed alive with these birds, although there 
was certainly none visible when I entered the tt^icket. 
They descended towards me, hopping from bough to 
bough, some of them swinging on the loops and cables 
of woody lianas, and all croaking and fluttering their 
wings like so many furies. Had I had a long stick in 
my hand I could have knocked several of them over. 
After killing the wounded one I rushed out to fetch 
my gun, but, the screaming of their companion having 
ceased, they remounted the trees, and before I could 
reload, every one of them had disappeared. 
/nsec^s.— Upwards of 7000 species of insects were 
found in the neighbourhood of Ega. I must confine 
myself, in this place, to a few remarks on the order 
