344 Walter Goodfellow—Some Beminiscences of a Collector


The former used to go to bed themselves, but if the Black-caps were in

the corridor and I forgot them as evening came on they gave me no

peace until I took them to the others, when they immediately squeezed

out of sight beneath the larger birds. The male Caique developed

a remarkable character later, and endeared himself to many wounded

soldiers at Hoddam Castle and used to get wildly excited when the

convalescents had boxing contests. Bor long afterwards inquiries came

about him from Australia and the other Dominions from those who lived

to get home.


The kitchen had one of those built-up stoves for burning charcoal,

with the usual ventilation holes below reaching quite a long way in.

Most of the parrots slept in these, as many as four in some, and had to

enter always in the same order or there was much quarrelling. A very

great deal could be written about this family of parrots alone, and

amusing incidents connected with them, for, as I have said, each was

a character in itself. There is one incident I must mention about one

of the Bronze-wings, “ Lorita ” by name. Attached to the flat was

a dark unused store-room and whenever this bird was missed she

could always be found in this room watching a hole in the boards for

rats. Here she patiently sat sometimes for a whole morning, and often

had a scrap with one. I know it sounds incredible but it is, neverthe¬

less, true. How she first found out the place I do not know, as it was

quite apart from the other rooms, and so dark that I often had to

strike a light before I could distinguish her.


The steep forest-covered valleys running down from the western

range to the Pacific are wonderously beautiful and abound in bird

fife of infinite variety. Perhaps one appreciates this side all the more

after crossing the bleak passes to get there, coming quite suddenly

upon such exuberant vegetation and the' air getting hotter and hotter

as you descend. It makes man feel so puny besides such majesty

of rushing waters and great falls on every hand, while overtopping

all are the great snow peaks. In some parts it is possible to go on for

days without meeting a human habitation.


There is one valley in the South of Colombia very different from these

where I think it would repay a naturalist to visit. I once passed through

part of it on the way from Popayan to Pasto. It is off the usual route



