- 105 - 
1894 
March 23 
Sunset on 
the edge 
of the 
f orest 
Caparo . 
A clear, cool , fine day. 
Off with Chapman in the early morning, visiting 
the concert grove of the Humminghirds again. There were 
only two “birds there this morning but they were "ha.rd at 
it" and we watched them for a long time. 
On the way in, I had two shots at Mot-mots but 
missed them both. The hoo of this bird is singularly Owl¬ 
like. In its flight, attitudes, etc, it reminds me most 
of a Cuckoo, 
I shot a big Cuckoo ( Piaya cayan a) in a tall tree 
near where the path enters these voods and at the river 
bank a lejge Swift and two Swallows (Stelgidopteryx ). 
After skinning these birds, I went to work on this journal 
which was three or four days behind and which I have been 
forced to write very hastily. 
Now that I have finished with the past, a v/ord as 
to the present. It is near sunset and I am sitting alone 
on the river bank with the cacao grove behind me and the 
edge of the forest walling in the further bank of the 
narrow, winding, miaiidly little stream. To the left is a 
clearing brilliantly lighted by the slanting rays of the 
sun. All else is in cool shadow. The trade wind has 
fallen and scarce a breath of air rustles the leaves. 
