A Bait for Catching Kaimans, 
125 
flesh, and bound it all up so neatly as to make one continuous line of it: 
the other end of the rope was tied to a tree and the bait tlirown into the 
water where the kaiman was to swallow it. Once swallowed, the rope 
which bound tlie flesh to the stick would get loosened, and the stick 
become fixed crossways in its jaws. Whether practice went hand in hand 
with theory I cannot say, because the pirai would not let the reptile grab 
the jeopardising bait, Init instantly l)it it off themselves. Tlie Indians 
firmly maintained tliat they had ali'eady caught a number of kaimaus by 
this moans. 
307. Though in the course of a few days the deer became more shy, from 
two to four were nevertheless shot daily, but we were only too glad to 
h^ive their stalking to tlie Indians, because avo had discovered a large 
number of foxes in tlie savannah. Yet Reynard is just as smart and 
tricky in the tropics as he is at home : lie proved a master-liaud in 
nvoiding falling into our traps. 
308. Among l)ii'ds, not less numerous tlian the Catliarfrs was the 
CrotopJiaf/a major whidi enlivened the Inishes on tlie opposite bank 
wlienee their peculiar jarring note resounded over to us. The Indians 
say that it is only these wliich build a nest in common, a peculiarity that 
is not shared by the Crofopliof/a vKCfirostra Sw. and C Ani, where each 
pair possesses its own. They arei quite interesting little birds, and one 
can Avatch tlieir busy little ways for hours. Tliey hop nimldy around the 
cattle or slip through tlie grass after crickets and other insects: but 
when it comes to flying, then good-bye to their activities because the 
wing muscles are none too strong and soon fail them. The large com- 
munal nests of the Crotoj)Jwcfa major often contain from 20 to 30 eggs, 
greyish white in colour, and 1^ to 11 in. long, whicli the Indians eagerly 
purloin. Judging from the contents of the stomach both species feed 
not only on insects but also on seeds: they Avould seem to be particulai'ly 
fond of thei berries of Psidivm ptjrife'nim Avhich, during the ri])ening 
season, I usually found inside them in large quantities. The uncommonly 
wide oesophagus soon narroAvs itself very considerably and then broadens 
out again into a maAV (Vormarfoi) covered Avitli longitudinal folds Avhile 
t}ie real and all but skin-like stomach has a glandular pajiillary lining. 
These birds Avere met in greatest number along the wooded borders of the 
saA^ninah sti'eams where, Avith plenty of noise, they flew from bush to 
bush: they were rarely to be seen in the depths of the forest. It is 
strange that they cannot stand a whistle, at any rate they will imme- 
diately fly off on hearing a person Avhistling. Guiana possesses the 
Croiophafia major, C. Ani and C. riic/irostra AA'hich are distiuguisliable 
not only by the beak but also l)y the iris. The first has a liright green iris, 
separated from the pupil liy a narroAV yelloAV ring: the latter liave: a 
greyish -lu'OAvn one. Were the anomalous shape of the bill to l)e the only 
distinguishing characteristic, it Avould not be of much value because the 
beak of the young bird is subject to many modifications and one mighu 
base a Avhole string of species on it. Its tenacity of life is extraordin- 
arily marked because unless shot in the headl or heart, the hunter can 
rest assured that he Avill never become possessed of the l)ird. If hit, it 
y,n]] run with incredible swiftness tlirough the grass and brushAA'Ood, and 
