BIRDS. 79 
The only bird of prey of the group is the short-eared owl (Asio 
aceipitrinus Pall.), called by the natives ‘“mémo,” ‘*mdéngmo,” or 
‘moéngo.” Hartert doubts its occurrence as a resident of the Mari- 
anne Islands“ but it is a bird well known to the natives. They describe 
itas having big eyes and a cat-like face, and say that it catches lizards. 
It has not been collected in Guam, but is said to be common on the 
island of Tinian. It was collected by the Freycinet expedition. 
TERRESTRIAL KINGFISHERS.— One of the commonest birds in Guam 
is Halcyon cinnamominus Swains., called ** sfhig ’ by the natives. It 
is of a beautiful blue and tawny color, the female differing from the 
male in having white on the belly. This bird is allied to the ‘* tio- 
tala” of Samoa (//. peale? Finsch & Hartl.). It feeds upon insects and 
lizards and is said to eat young birds and to pick out the eyes of 
young chickens. It utters a strident rattling note which is often 
heard in the middle of the night. An allied species, //aleyon albicila 
(Dumont) oceurs in the northern islands of the group. 
Other birds are the edible-nest swift, Co//ocal/a fuciphaga (Thunb. ) 
called *tyaydguag” by the natives and *golondrina” by the Span- 
iards. which in Guam makes nests of leaves stuck together with a secre- 
tion from the mouth yery different from the typical nests used for 
food by the Chinese; the fan tailed fly-catcher, Rhipidura uraniac 
Oustalet, called ** chichirika,” or ‘‘chichirita,” by the natives, a pretty 
little bird which follows one along the road and spreads its tail as 
though wishing to attract attention, Another little fly-catcher fre- 
quenting shady woods, J/yeagra freycineté Oustalet, called ‘ chiguén- 
guan;” the starling-like sili, Aplones hittlite’ Finsch & Hartl., 
closely allied to the Samoan miti-uli CL. breedrostrés); a crow, Corvus 
hubary! Reichenow, called “aga,” which is fond of Terminalia nuts 
and does much damage to the maize crops of the natives; two honey 
eaters, the little red-and-black Myzomela rubratra  (less.). called 
** éoi01,” which frequents the blossoms of bananas, coconuts, and scarlet 
hibiscus, and the olive-green and yellow Zosteryps conspreata (Xitt- 
litz), called ‘tndéssak” by the natives. The only real song bird on the 
island is the g4-karriso, or g4-piao, a reed warbler which is well named 
Aecrocephalus luscinia (Quoy & Gaim.). It nests among the reeds of 
the large swamp near Agafia, known as “la Ciénaga,” and has a song 
of exquisite sweetness. 
Sore BIRDS.—Among the shore birds are a peculiar bittern, Ar- 
detta sinensis (Gmel.), called *kikkag” by the natives; the common 
reef-heron of the Pacific, Dem/yretta sacra (Gm.), called ** chfiichuk6,” 
which is not rare but wary and hard to approach; two rails called 
KOKO,” Lypotucnidia owston’ Rothschild, and Poliolimnas cinereus 
(Vieill.), both of which are caught by the natives by means of snares 
laid in paths; the widely distributed water hen or eallinule, Ga/linula 
« Novitates Zoologice, Vol. V, p. 68, 1898. 
