. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . ge creatures which we had hoped to see. THE LAND OF A SINGLE TREE. 15 We came to a tiny bayou, shaped like a bottle, from whichfour Little Blue Herons 34 flew as we approached. We placedour dug-out corklike athwart the mouth and anchored withour crossed paddles. The air was warm, bees hummedabout the tiny four-parted flowers of the mangroves, and agreat blue morpho butterfly flapped past, mirrored in thewater beneath. Then came tragedy — never far off in thisland of superabundant li
. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . ge creatures which we had hoped to see. THE LAND OF A SINGLE TREE. 15 We came to a tiny bayou, shaped like a bottle, from whichfour Little Blue Herons 34 flew as we approached. We placedour dug-out corklike athwart the mouth and anchored withour crossed paddles. The air was warm, bees hummedabout the tiny four-parted flowers of the mangroves, and agreat blue morpho butterfly flapped past, mirrored in thewater beneath. Then came tragedy — never far off in thisland of superabundant life. A small clay-colored crocodile made a sudden rush at a ripple, and a quartet of four-eyesshot from the water in frantic fear. One was slower than therest, and the fierce jaws of the diminutive reptile just grazedhim. Another fell back downward in the ooze, and in atwinkling was caught and dragged into the depths. Nowonder the poor little four-eyes are ever on the lookout fordanger and spend most of their time where they merge withthe ripples along the shore, when sueh enemies are on thewatch for them!. Fig. 6. Parrot Puff-fish. i6 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. A whir of wings sounded, and a Kingfisher69 alighted withinarms reach. But such a Kingfisher! — the veriest mite, cladin a robe of brilliant emerald and orange. So small was hethat it seemed as if the tiniest of minnows must choke seemed to be of the same opinion, for while we watchedhim he caught only the insects which passed him in mid-airor which were floating on the water. By far the most numerous, and in their way the mostinteresting of the mangroves inhabitants, were the crabs.
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