Part I. Our First Search.

VENEZUELA.

I. THE LAND OF A SINGLE TREE 3

II. THE LAKE OF PITCH 32

III. A WOMAN’S EXPERIENCES IN VENEZUELA 71

PART II. OUR SECOND SEARCH.

BRITISH GUIANA.

IV. GEORGETOWN 111

V. STEAMER AND LAUNCH TO HOORIE CREEK 134

VI. A GOLD MINE IN THE WILDERNESS 165

VII. THROUGH THE COASTAL WILDERNESS WITH INDIANS AND CANOE 214

VIII. THE WATER TRAIL FROM GEORGETOWN TO AREMU 244

IX. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU 285

X. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU (Continued) 316

XI. THE LIFE OF THE ABARY SAVANNAS 350

APPENDICES.

A. CLASSIFIED LIST OF BIRDS MENTIONED IN THIS VOLUME 389

B. NATIVE GUIANAN NAMES OF BIRDS 395

C. ALPHABETICAL LISTS OF BIRDS 397

INDEX 399

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE

In the South American Wilderness. Frontispiece

1. Map of our Trip through the Mangrove Wilderness 2

2. Our Sloop entering the Mangroves 5

3. Scarlet Ibises in Flight 7

4. Young Mangrove Plants 11

5. The Crucifix in the Catfish 13

6. Parrot Puff-fish 15

7. Four-eyed Fish 16

8. Our Floating Home at La Ceiba 18

9. Exploring the Caños in a Dug-out 21

10. White Orchids 23

11. Sun-bittern 25

12. Solution of the Mangrove Mystery—an Anaconda 27

13. Hoatzins in the Bamboos on the Guarapiche 28

14. First Glimpse of the Venezuela Mountains 31

15. Colony of 150 Cassiques’ Nests in One Tree 33

16. Nest and Eggs of Yellow-backed Cassique 34

17. Venezuelan Tree Porcupine 36

18. Wild Chachalaca near a Guanoco Hut 38

19. Scorpion and its Young taken from Milady’s Shoe 39

20. Yellow Woodpecker 41

21. Owl Butterfly on Cocoa Bark 42

22. Lizard Alert on Trunk of Tree 44

23. The Same Lizard a Moment Later, Obliterated by Change of Position 45

24. Nest and Eggs of Great Blue Tinamou 47

25. Woodhewer clinging to the Trunk of a Tree 50

26. Streaked Flycatcher 51

27. The Jungle Railroad 56

28. Spider Lilies near Pitch Lake 57

29. La Brea—The Lake of Pitch 59

30. The fatal “Mother of the Lake” 61

31. White-headed Chimachima Hawk and Eta Palm 62

32. Amazon Parrot Roost, Pitch Lake 63

33. The Home of the Amazon Parrot in the Middle of Pitch Lake 64

34. Amazon Parrot at Entrance of Nest. Fifteen feet away 65

35. Amazon Parrot at Entrance of Nest. Ten feet away 65

36. Amazon Parrot about to take Flight 66

37. Eggs and Young of Amazon Parrot in the Nest 67

38. Fish from the Pools in Pitch Lake. Aequidens sp. 69

39. Fish from the Pools in Pitch Lake. Hoplias malabaricus 69

40. Our Sloop at Guanoco 72

41. Venezuelan Soldiers on the “Pontón” Guard Ship 76

42. Captain Truxillo paddling us up the Guarapiche past Caño Colorado 78

43. Sunset in the Mangrove Wilderness 80

44. The Silent Savages 81

45. Guarauno Indians coming to trade at Caño Colorado 83

46. Guarauno Squaws and Child with Monkey 85

47. Pitch Lake, showing freshly dug pit filled with water; an older pit filled with soft pitch, both surrounded by the hard surface pitch 88

48. Digging out the Black, Waxlike Pitch 90

49. Loading Pitch on the Hand Cars 93

50. Mangrove Wilderness from the High Land at Guanoco 95

51. Inhabitants of Guanoco assembled for a Dance 97

52. A Palm-sheath Rocking Toy 100

53. Sheath in Fig. 52, covering the Flower of a Palm 102

54. Priestless Chapel at Guanoco 105

55. Guarauno Indian Papoose 107

56. Map of our Three Expeditions into British Guiana 110

57. Street in Georgetown 113

58. Kiskadee Tyrant Flycatcher 114

59. Coolie Woman and Negress 117

60. The Georgetown Sea-wall 119

61. Toad 123

62. Arc-light 123

63. Victoria Regia in the Botanical Gardens 124

64. Lotus in Blossom 126

65. Taliput Palm in Blossom 128

66. Canal of the Crocodiles 130

67. Young Elania Flycatchers 132

68. Typical Indian House at Morawhanna 136

69. Three-year Olds at Home in their Wood-skin 138

70. Mount Everard 140

71. Sir Everard im Thurn’s House at Morawhanna 143

72. Palm Tanager 147

73. Frederick, the Carib Indian Boy 152

74. Our Tent-boat on the Barama River 159

75. Indian Boys in Dug-out 162

76. Crossing a Stream on the Hoorie Jungle Road 166

77. The Wilderness Trail 168

78. Engine House and Flume of Hoorie Gold Mine 172

79. The “Little Giant” at Work 175

80. Carib Hunter and His Children at Hoorie 178

81. Three Generations of Carib Indians 180

82. Mr. Wilshire and Crandall with Bushmaster 182

83. The Terrible Bushmaster 183

84. Panning Gold 186

85. Whip Scorpion or Pedipalp Spider 190

86. A Jungle Blossom 193

87. The Drowned Forest 199

88. Nests of Red-backed Cassiques 204

89. Barama River from Farnum’s House 216

90. Scene on the Barrabarra 219

91. Wake of a Manatee swimming up River 221

92. Manatee browsing close to the Bank 222

93. Manatee taking in Air and about to dive 224

94. A Vista of the Biara 226

95. Father Gillett and his Indian Boys 228

96. Tropical Luxuriance 230

97. Capybara on the Bank of a Stream 232

98. South American Thatched House and Nests of Green Cassiques 236

99. Miles of Lilies 239

100. The Road to Suddie 243

101. Gray-breasted Martins nesting on the Steamer 245

102. Coolies and their Wives fishing on the Essequibo 247

103. Falls at Lower Camaria 249

104. A Butterfly Mimicking an Orchid 251

105. Fresh-water Flying Fish 252

106. Salt-water Flying Fish 253

107. Cuyuni River 254

108. A Herd of Eight Capybaras, Six Adult and Two Young 255

109. Great Anteater 257

110. A Tacuba on the Cuyuni 259

111. Rapids on the Cuyuni 260

112. Rushing the Boat into the Rapids 261

113. Warping the Boat Through the Lower Whirlpools 262

114. A Rest midway up the Rapids 264

115. The Final Struggle up to Smooth Water 266

116. Shooting the Rapids at Full Speed 270

117. A Wilderness Passion Flower—Simitú 272

118. Our Camp on the Aremu River 274

119. Poling under Tacubas on the Little Aremu 276

120. Tree-ferns on the Little Aremu 278

121. A Sloth in Action 280

122. A Sloth Asleep 281

123. Where only Otters and Fish can pass 283

124. Aremu Gold Mine, showing Bungalow and Mine Shaft 286

125. Descending the Shaft 289

126. Walking Stick Insect 290

127. Scorpion and Caterpillar after their Battle 292

128. Milady and the Giant Mora Tree 296

129. Aërial Roots of Bush-rope 299

130. Tamandua 306

131. Agouti 312

132. Nest and Eggs of White-throated Robin 323

133. Section of Paddle-wood Tree 325

134. Phonetic Caterpillars 329

135. First Phase of Curassow Strutting, a Slow Walk with Raised Tail. Rear View. 333

136. The Same. Side View. 333

137. Second Phase of Curassow Strutting 335

138. Third Phase of Curassow Strutting 337

139. Golden-crowned Manakin lifted from Nest 343

140. Young Dusky Parrots 344

141. Early Morning in the Wilderness 346

142. Indian Hunter bringing in a Peccary 347

143. American Egret on the Abary River Savanna 352

144. Nest and Young of Jabiru 354

145. Gray-necked Tree-ducks rising from the Savanna 356

146. Our Bungalow on Abary Island 358

147. Map of Abary Island 361

148. Abary River, showing High Growth on West Bank 362

149. Spider Lily near Abary Island 363

150. Nest of a Hoatzin in the Mucka-mucka on which these Birds feed 366

151. The Author Photographing Hoatzins 367

152. (A) Female Hoatzin flushed from her nest; the Male Bird approaching 369

153. (B) Female Hoatzin in the same Position, the Male having flown nearer 370

154. (C) Male Hoatzin alarmed and about to take Flight 372

155. (D) Female Hoatzin crouching to avoid Observation 373

156. (E) Female Hoatzin taking flight, with wings fully spread; a second pair of birds leaving their nest in the background 375

157. Flock of Eleven Hoatzins 377

158. Crocodiles on a South American River Bank 380

159. Lagoon between Abary Island and River 382

160. Young Spur-winged Jacana 384