214 Walter Goodfellow—Some Reminiscences of a Collector


collection. Some species, especially those from the Amazonian side of

the Andes, were for various reasons not replaced. At that time sailings

were irregular and ships few and far between, with usually only

a few days’ notice, besides which, companies did not care to carry

live stock in war time ; so when an opportunity came to leave I had

to hurry off at once without being able to make all the preparations

I should have liked.


Among the birds not replaced were a few worth special mention

as they still have not been brought here alive. One was a Yulturine

Parrot ( Geepsittacus vulturinus), which I had had for many months

and was very tame. I had got it from the Indians who had, no doubt,

reared it by hand from the nest as they do most of their parrots. This

bird must not be confused with Pesquet’s Vulture-headed Parrot

(Dasyptilus) from New Guinea, a very much larger bird, of which

a fair number have been imported, and which in its habits more

resembles a Lory. The former is a medium-sized Parrot of rich greens,

a blackish head with white markings, and orange shoulders gives a rough

description of it. Mine was not in the least noisy, and was very

intelligent. I expect it is rare in Ecuador as I never met with it in

the forests on either of my visits.


Another was the Laminated Mountain Toucan ( Andigena laminirostris)

found high up on the western side of the Andes. The few members

of this beautiful and uncommonly coloured genus all come from high

altitudes, some from as high as 11,500 feet and have breasts of pale

greyish blue. In laminirostris the upper mandible looks as if the outer

surface has been peeled off, leaving only a semi-detached piece on either

side at the base. Its local name is “ Palengo ”.


A third very curious bird was the Toucan-like Barbet ( Tetragonops

rhanphastinus). I had two of these, which are very different in shape

and appearance to any of the Barbets of the old world ; and, in its

colours and the arrangement of them, corresponds almost exactly to

the Laminated Toucan, being olive, blue grey, black, white, scarlet, and

yellow, and has a bulky-looking head. The bill is not in the least like

a Toucan’s, as it is very short and thick with long hard bristles at the

base. It inhabits the same locality as the Toucan, and is usually

met with in small parties of four or five high up in the trees, feeding



