. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . about lifts- miles far into Venezuelaterritory, Mora Passage King between it and Morawhannaproper. Flowers were abundant, attracting many insectsand these in turn birds of a score or more spec ies. Kiskadecswere- nesting in low Bois Immortelle trees, Yellow-backedCassiques or Bunyahs, in a great saman overhanging thehouse; while in the garden were Seed-eaters of several kinds,together with Blue and Palm Tanagers and the beautifulMoriche Guiana House Wrens12 were nestingi
. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . about lifts- miles far into Venezuelaterritory, Mora Passage King between it and Morawhannaproper. Flowers were abundant, attracting many insectsand these in turn birds of a score or more spec ies. Kiskadecswere- nesting in low Bois Immortelle trees, Yellow-backedCassiques or Bunyahs, in a great saman overhanging thehouse; while in the garden were Seed-eaters of several kinds,together with Blue and Palm Tanagers and the beautifulMoriche Guiana House Wrens12 were nestingindoors on the ceiling rafters and under the deep eaves of thehalf veranda, half sitting-room was a beautiful pendent nest STEAMER AND LAUNCH TO HOORIE CREEK. 143 of the Feather-toed Swift71 composed entirely of feathery seedplumes. It was a straight symmetrical column about threeinches in diameter and fourteen inches long, suspended fromthe palm thatch, not half a foot from a hanging, open-combwasps nest. The upper ten inches of the nest was built andoccupied just six months ago in September, and a brood of. Fig. 71. Sir Everard im Thurns House at Morawhaxna. two young were reared. Now the birds had returned and werepreparing to nest again, having already added four inchesof pure white seed-plumes, easily distinguished from the older,browner, weathered portion. They came to the nest everyhour with a bcakful of plumes and pressed them into positionwhile fluttering in mid air, evidently utilizing their saliva as acementing substance. In the interims between their visits, 144 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. Hummingbirds,— sometimes two at once — came and filchednesting material from the lower end, fraying it out veryappreciably. Their nests were attached to the lesser stems ofa dense clump of bamboo in the garden. This Swift was common on all the Guiana rivers, hawk-ing with Swallows over the water. Seen on the wing itappears glossy black with a white throat and collar. It was th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, books, booksubjectnaturalhistory
