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392 Fauna of the Sandhills. 
aluijg the coast, Avhile the vegetation, if less rank, yet »tili of vigorous 
growth, must appear all the more wonderful to everybody. If however 
this arenaceous flat is dug into, one finds at a certain depth a sandy 
layer mixed with rich vegetable mould that constitutes the real support 
of the plant life. This sandy terrain jttissesses an exclusively peculiar 
flora Avhich is besides remarkable for the perfume of its blossoms and 
their leathery foliage. The Indians call such tracts Moro (or Muri) : 
they form the transition from the forest to the open savannah extending 
between the Demerara and the Corentyn. 
981. The fauna of the Sandhills, of which I will only mention the 
most interesting repi-eseutatives, was just as rich as the flora. During 
the months of December, January and March the ripe fruit of the mauy 
kinds of Ficns and Brosiinum attracts the most brilliant species of small 
feathered folk. I found the barbet iBucco toiehrosus Sw. ) particularly 
l)lentiful ab)ng this are.-i. (^uiet and immovable, several of tluMu j>ereh 
on the dry branches of a tiee-top whence they can overlook the whole 
district and often rise from time to time straight up into the air, to 
catch the insect that is drawing near, and then intmed lately return to 
their original post. The bird seems fond of perching high: its flight is 
wavy. It is said to nest in excavations in the banks and to live only on 
insects. B. tenehrosiift is rarely seen in the depths of the forest, but most 
fietpiently where the virgin woodland altei-nates with clear spaces. The 
sprightly little manakin (Pipra Manariis Linn.) also proved of interest, 
its beard-like white feathers on the neck giving the bird a strange 
appearance : the charactei's of the whole genus are similar to our tits. 
'Amongst the genus Tror/on I may note T. melanopterus Sw., 7'. melan- 
vnifi Ciould. and T. (■{iJif/afiifi (Jould: Tanngra and yrctftrinhi were jnst 
as frequently met with. Equally plentiful were the KoVihrls of which 1- 
found Trofli Hilft pclJa and aiiritnsi Cm. especially on the small forest 
streams: the latter was only present in the very heart of the woodlands. 
Still more numerous were the pretty pigeons (Cohimho passrr'uui and 
Tdlpaeofi Temm.) on the forestless slopes: of a morning and after sun- 
set one hears the peculiarly sac! monotonous note of the male and female 
sounding in all directions. These pretty bii-ds are less shy. and )»ofh 
species are only to be seen in open spaces. During the breeding season 
they keep together in pairs: subsequently, one finds them generallv in 
small flocks. On tlie "Sandhills'" T often discovered their nest built of 
little roots and grassy-blades in and amonost Chiftio and other thick bush : 
thev li.keAvise only lay two white eags. The CohimTxt jaynairm^Js Temm. 
and the magnificent laroe C. fiprciosa are just as plentiful. The f(n'me" 
lives only in the dense forest. Avhere it searches on the ground for its 
food; its note also has a uniform soft tone; its nest is likewise built in 
high bushes; and I have always only met with it singly. The C. sperioaa, 
like the C. rußna Temm., also very common here, lives in pairs onlv 
during the breeding season : it subsequently collects in considerable 
flocks. Both species are very shy and always stick to the highest trees 
wdiere one sees them frequently percluMl, especially on the dried 
branches: their nest does not differ in structure from that of the other 
kinds. Thatttnophiltis narrius and T. ilolioliis were just as scarce here 
