. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . sighl of blossoms. A few feet behind us, as we sit on the log,are two Solomon-seal-like plants (Castus sp.) eighteen incheshigh, with the stem and leaves growing in a wide ascendingspiral -making one revolution throughout its course. A sheafof (lower heads appears at the top of the plant with a singlewhite open (lower, giving forth the sweetest perfume. Bell-shapei, it is formed by a single sweeping petal, the edgesapposed along the summit, and the mouth rimmed with thefinest hair-l
. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . sighl of blossoms. A few feet behind us, as we sit on the log,are two Solomon-seal-like plants (Castus sp.) eighteen incheshigh, with the stem and leaves growing in a wide ascendingspiral -making one revolution throughout its course. A sheafof (lower heads appears at the top of the plant with a singlewhite open (lower, giving forth the sweetest perfume. Bell-shapei, it is formed by a single sweeping petal, the edgesapposed along the summit, and the mouth rimmed with thefinest hair-like fringe. The slit in the upper part is protectedby a second narrow petal recurved at the tip, showing theheart within. Such a blossom would be a splendid addition A GOLD MINE IN THE WILDERNESS. 193 to our conservatories, and a vast harvest awaits the growerof tropical plants other than orchids. Now, the morning half gone, rain falls — a gentle mist,light as dew, refreshing and pleasant. Through the drops to the blossom comes a great morphobutterfly of blue tinsel, soon followed by a big yellow Fig. 86. A Jungle Blossom. A tiny white butterfly, bordered with black, dashes up andattacks the papilio with fury, driving it away, as a Kingbirdvanquishes a Hawk. Just as we are about to arise, a Goldbird calls in thedistance and then without warning a beautiful song ringsout close at hand—six or eight clear descending notes likethe early morning chant of the YVoodhcwer, but even more 194 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. liquid, running together at the last into a maze of warblingwhich continues for eight or ten seconds — then ceases, andthe liquid notes form an exquisite finale of a trio of sweetphrases. The singer is invisible; we never learn what it is,but it deserves a place near the head of the songsters evenof temperate climes. As we walk along, Toucans and otherbirds fly high overhead with whirring beats of their drenchedwings. Woodhewers loop from trunk to trunk a
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