68 
THE FERN OWL. 
from the dark recesses of the cavern ; their shrill 
and piercing tones reverberated from the arched 
roofs, and were re-echoed from the depths of the 
cave. The Indians, by fixing torches to the end of 
a long pole, pointed out their nests, arranged in 
funnel-shaped holes, with which the whole roof of 
the grotto was riddled. As the travellers advanced, 
the noise increased, the flare of the torches alarming 
the birds still more. When it ceased for a few 
minutes, distinct moans weredieard from other re- 
mote branches of the cavern, the alternate responses 
of other flocks of these birds. The Indians, every 
year about Midsummer, descend into the cave, fur- 
nished with poles for the purpose of destroying the 
nests. At this time many thousands of birds are 
killed, and the old ones, as if to protect their broods, 
hover over the heads of the Indians, uttering the 
most dreadful shrieks. The young that fall to the 
ground are immediately ripped open, to procure a 
sort of unctuous or fatty substance with which they 
are then loaded. At this period, which is com- 
monly termed the oil-harvest, the Indians construct 
little habitations of palm -leaves, close to the open- 
ing, and even in the mouth of the cavern. Here 
the grease of the young birds just killed is melted 
over a fire of dry sticks, and run into pots of 
white clay. This grease, known by the name of 
Guacharo butter or oil, is semi-liquid, transparent, 
and without smell, and so pure that it may be kept 
a twelvemonth without becoming rancid. At a 
neighbouring convent, visited by these travellers, no 
oil but that of the cavern was used in the monks' 
kitchen, and it was never found to give to any dish 
a disagreeable taste or smell.” 
