. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . Fig. 139. Golden-crowned Manaktn lifted from Nest. While insects were far from rare in the jungle itself, theywere present in myriads in the little fallen-tree Morphos flashed in and out of the thickets, while white-Spotted, clicking ones, snapped back and forth. In thedarker recesses the transparent Ghost Butterflies Hewsilently and almost invisibly, while Heliconias threaded thevines. Giant bees buzzed past now and then. One whichI caught was an inch and a half long
. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . Fig. 139. Golden-crowned Manaktn lifted from Nest. While insects were far from rare in the jungle itself, theywere present in myriads in the little fallen-tree Morphos flashed in and out of the thickets, while white-Spotted, clicking ones, snapped back and forth. In thedarker recesses the transparent Ghost Butterflies Hewsilently and almost invisibly, while Heliconias threaded thevines. Giant bees buzzed past now and then. One whichI caught was an inch and a half long with tremendously 344 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. thick and hairy hind legs, an orange collar across the frontof the thorax and an equally broad band of yellow on theabdomen (Centis americana). Among the most interesting birds which we found nestingwere Dusky About one hundred yards from theclearing we observed two red-breasted Parrots fly from a. Fig. 140. Young Dusky Parrots. hole about forty feet up in a tall dead kakeralli tree. Wewatched the tree, morning and afternoon for several days, often for an hour at a time, but neither saw nor heard anythingof the birds. Fearing thai we had been deceived in thinkingthey were nesting we had a black CUl down the tree, but nosooner had the dust settled from the debris of rotten woodthan a ( horns of raucous cries arose, and four young Parrots,nearly fledged, were gathered into a hat. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU. 345 The quartet showed an interesting sequence of growth,there being several days difference between each one. Theyoungest was clad only in quill-like blood feathers; numbertwo had the scapulars, part of the crown, the breast and ahalf inch of the tail feathers out of the sheath. Number threewas pretty well feathered except for face, throat, underwings and sides, while number four was to all intents andpurposes a real Parrot! The way in which the old birds kepthidden was remarkable.
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