Curious Flight of the Pepper-Eater. 
143 
logend, was being pnisned l)y a poweiful spirit: so closely was he pressed 
that eskcape seemed iiiijiossible and tlie stcej) bank which hindered his 
i'nrther Jliglit (»vei- Hie sui-race oT llie groun«!, fonned his only chance. He 
dug his way into the bank, boi-ed his way underground for a distance of 
10 to lU miles aud emerged on the left or northern shore of the Zuruma 
so that, rescued from destruction, he still continues to toruu'ut the human 
race. As a matter of fact a similar opening is found, in the steepi bank 
on that side of the Zuruma, with a similar water-spout. 
352. Though finding an ample resorvoir for the numerous small hori- 
zontal fountains along the lower reaches of the river in the neighbouring 
flooded savannahs, a sindlar natural cistern was entirely wanting in this 
locality, where the land on l)otli sides of the river had already for a long 
distance begun to rise, and all swamps had accordingly disappeared. Tlu 
source of supply for this interesting water-chute was therefore probably in 
the neardying Facaraima Kanges, the rocky strata of which must be run- 
ning out to here. The immediate neighbourhood of this natural hydraulic 
engine ]>oss( ssed an especial charm owing to some blossoming shi-ubs of 
the glorious K id inejjrra a iintixt ifolia Pohl, which, in the construction of 
its blooms and colouring bears such a striking resemblance to the 
Oleander. It wasi a stranger to the place whither it had been probably 
brought as seed by some bird from the sandstone i-egion, and had found 
all requirements for its prosperous development. We had hardly passed 
this spot so full of terror and import to the Indians, than their jirevious 
liveliness returned twice as strong: they had not suffered the slightest 
damage to body or soul. 
35;). With the exce})tion of the pretty bushes of this Kiehneycra 
anfjnstifolia, the veget-ation was miserable and poor: the animal world 
was no less sparsely represented. Only now and again would the uniform 
silence be broken by the fluttering of a frightened duck or lonely crane, 
or our attention directed to the curious flight of tlie shy pepper-eater 
(Rhamphasiofi toco), never found on the coast, which appears to) choose 
its home only on the savannahs and in the forest oases. It usually flies 
in a short broken jerky style, during wltich the liead, probably owing to 
the pre]>onderating weiglit of the beak, is bent down. I met with plenty 
of them tamed by the Indians, but never noticed, as is commonly reported 
of this family, that in order to swallow their food they must first of all 
throw it up in the air and catch it. To pick up its food fi'onV tlu^ grnun<l 
is certainly a matter of some difficulty for tliis strangely shaped bird, but 
it is chiefly under circumstances of domestication that it is ol)liged to do 
this, because in its natural state it only eats fruits and berries Avhich it 
bites off from the tree or busli. Once the food is seized. thcJ bird holds 
its beak perpendicular, and swallows it, without throwing it' up before- 
hand : it also shows wonderful skill in catching up any food that may be 
thrown in its way. In the colouring of the bill there is a repetition of the 
collective play of tints of the plumage, and bare skin about the eyes: 
unfortunately, this beautiful colouring disappears on the third oi" fourth 
day after death, both in the beak and eyes. 
354. The paddles danced merrily over and under the smooth water, 
and the boats (piickly sped between the lofty banks which, on account of 
their many turns, intermitted our view of the Ranges, although llicv must 
