Identifier: afloatinforestor00reid (find matches)
Title: Afloat in the forest, or, A voyage among the tree-tops
Year: 1867 (1860s)
Authors: Reid, Mayne, 1818-1883
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston : Ticknor and Fields
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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from what the beast has done. In twenty minutes therewont be a tocandeira to sting us. May the Great Spiritprove propitious, and turn its eyes upon the dead-wood! For a time the bird kept up its flickering flight and twit-tering cry, while our adventurers watched it manoeuvres, keep-ing quiet, as a precaution against scaring it away. All at oncethe ant-thrush changed its tactics, and its louder note pro-claimed a surprise. It had come close to the tree that con-tained the tamandua, and saw the quadruped taking its siestaupon the branch. From the presence of the ant-eater it ar-gued the proximity of their common prey. The swarm of fire-ants, reddening the log, formed too con-spicuous an object to escape being seen. The ant-thrush soonsaw them, and announced the discovery with a screech, whichwas a signal to scores of hungry companions. It was an-swered by what seemed a hundred echoes, aud soon the airresounded with whistling wings, as the feathered ant-eaterscame crowding to the feast.
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ANT-EATERS — BIPED AND QUADRUPED. 189 Boy reader, 5-011 have bred pigeons, and fed them too.You have flung before them whole baskets of barley, andpecks of oats, until the pavement was thickly strewed. Youhave observed how quickly they could clear the ground of thegrain. With the like rapidity was the log cleared of the to-candeiras. In ten minutes not a single insect could be seenupon it; and then the feathered ant-eaters, without givingthe tamandua a hint that his premises had been despoiled,flew off into the forest in search of a fresh swarm. CHAPTER LXIV. ANT-EATERS BIPED AND QUADRUPED. THE spectacle of the bird ant-eaters engaged in theirwork of destruction is one that may be seen almostevery day in the Amazonian region. The presence of anarmy of ants passing from place to place through the forest— themselves often bent upon a marauding and murderousexpedition — may often be discovered long belong the insectsthemselves are in sight, by the twittering cries and excitedaction

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