Our search for a wilderness

Two ornithological expeditions recount field research in northern South America, tracing voyages through mangrove caños, a pitch lake, riverine and mountain fringes, jungle camps, gold-mine settlements, and inland savannas. The narrative blends travel description with natural-history observation and practical accounts of trapping, photographing, and transporting live birds and other specimens for study. Photographs and drawings illustrate species, habitats, and local scenes, and appended lists provide scientific and vernacular bird names plus identified insects. Encounters with local guides and laborers accompany detailed notes on avian behavior, nests, and the variety of ecosystems explored.