The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-03-22
The Guacharo or Oil Bi
Island of Trinida

search of these birds in t
Trinidad
HBirds are my speciality,
of birds, here is a little fell
stoned me considerable trou
last. No, it isn't much Of a !
it lacks in size it makes up
In South America it is called
and scientifically ,Steatornis ca
is related to our nighthawks I
ling around with the bats.
The stuffed bird was abOu
a pigeon, and had a long,
hooked bill, and was Of a brow
color, marked with indefinite
THE OIL BIRD.
"When | first heard of til
tinued the bird man, Il was t
mountainous part of Column
night when | halted in a nativ
gave me some strange dish, (
Curious to know where they
| asked a native, who said it 4
oil bird or Guacharo. He
gave me to understand that Il
not unlike bottles of oil; all u
was to put a wick in their
light it, and you had a lamp
had never seen the bird him
but bought the oil from anotH
belonged to a tribe away up /
tains, and brought it down tv
"You may be sure l inquiII
Guacharo of all the natives |
nally | came across a little
the people knew about it. y
ised to take me where | cd
birds, but he was very reluct
According to him, the bird
omen, and never came out of
places in the daytime. He
lived in the ground, and that
gone after them never return
"That settled it with me
doubled my first offer, he put
pies, and in two days we werl
interior. At the end of two
up our mules and began cutt
ing through the worst count
ling on the globe. The fore
lutely impenetrable. In son
lianes or vines formed a per
had to be cut through unless
were made. | was tempted Ii
to give it up, but We kept on
after nearly a weeks wOr
mountains, among which t
supposed to live. Our cam
at the foot of a low cliff, agaI
boulders were piled; the tent
boughs thrust into the groj
leaves thrown over the ton.
A SURPRISE
II remember we lay dow
tired out. | must have ta
rectly, as | was awakened
grasping me by the shoulde
my feet, thinking that | hi
mad or was dreaming. 1t
all about was the most teri
screeching mortal man eve
only thing | can compare
cane, without the wind.
a wild roar, then a weird
by a low moaning that gs
louder, until it reached an
and then died away to RET
again. l can hear it now,
alist, taking out a highly
bandanna, "and it makes NJ
of it. Well, l was paraly
minute, and the native was
out of time, but | grabbed
moment he gasped out, &c
it came to me that we v
birds, and, picking up my
random directly up. Sci
within a few feet of the 5
actually filed the air in cou
You may have seen the or
in Kentucky, where they
trees. Well, this discouI
roosts in every respect. !
| couldn't stand it. / 50
o'clock, and then the nois(
birds disappeared in some
lous manner. The birds
story at once. They werd
could be fairly squeezed
old piece of flannel and i
story then and there by tn
bird. 1t readily lighted
blue and yellow flame.
Il suspected that the
bats, living in caves, and t
ed in close proximity to
ground roost. During
imagined several timea tn
bling sound under foot, Al
as was proved the next d
about 300 feet from the
to a cave. Our camp h;
the path of the birds, "
every evening at dusk.
was about twenty feet ac
with feathers and guanO.
nerve to 90 in, but armin
clubs and lighting mater
For some twenty yards il
but then the path suddeI
ly downward, changing
"a walk of a 100 feet led
hall, perhaps $50 feet |
time L had only used a 81
that l always carried, al
birds 1 thought 1 would
ton so | set off a red lid