90 
TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. [l\ovember, 
flowers, and seemed to be of very little variety of species. 
In the marshy places shrubby convolvuli are abundant, 
and in others are large beds of cassias and mimosas, 
while scattered among them are many delicate little 
flowers. 
Long-tailed, light-coloured cuckoos were continually 
flying about from tree to tree, uttering their peculiar 
note, not at all like that of our cuckoo, but more like 
the creaking of a rusty hinge, which the name given to 
them, Carenc, is intended to resemble. Equally abund- 
ant are the black hornbill cuckoos, called Anus ; and on 
almost every tree may be seen sitting a hawk or buzzard, 
the variety of which is very great, as in a few weeks I 
obtained eight different kinds. Pretty paroquets, with 
white and orange bands on their wings, and others with 
an orange-coloured crown, were very plentiful, and it was 
amusing to watch the activity with which they climbed 
about over the trees, and how suddenly and simultane- 
ously they flew away when alarmed. Their plumage is 
so near the colour of the foliage, that it is sometimes im- 
possible to see them, though you may have watched a 
whole flock enter a tree, and can hear them twittering 
overhead, when, after gazing until your patience is ex- 
hausted, they will suddenly fly off with a scream of 
triumph. 
Then among the bushes there were flocks of the beau- 
tiful red-breasted oriole. Icterus militaris ; but they were 
unfortunately not in good plumage at the time of my 
visit. The common black vulture is generally to be seen 
sailing overhead, or seated on some dead tree ; and great 
Muscovy ducks fly past with a rushing sound, like some 
