316 Mr. W. L. Sclater on 



average breadth of some thirty miles, is perfectly flat, and iu 

 many cases below the level of the spring-tides, from the 

 inroads of which the land is protected by artificial dams. 

 Upon the immediate sea-frontage of this flat area all the 

 cultivated land of British Guiana (consisting almost entirely 

 of sugar-estates) is situated ; behind the estates is either 

 forest or marshy treeless ground, generally known in the 

 colony as '^wet savannah/' Behind the flat sea-board, the 

 land gradually rises until it culminates in Boraima and the 

 other mountains which fringe the water-parting between the 

 rivers of British Guiana and the tributaries of the Amazons 

 and Orinoco. Here the country, at lower elevations and in 

 the valleys adjoining the rivers, is covered with forest ; but on 

 the higher parts it consists of large tracts of open grassy 

 plains, commonly known as " dry savannah.^' 



My short travels in British Guiana were entirely confined 

 to the sea-board region, except on one occasion when I 

 penetrated into the interior as far as Bartica Grove, at the 

 point of union of the Mazaruni and Essequibo Rivers, well 

 known as one of Mr. Whitely's collecting-stations. 



All the bird- collecting which I did in British Guiana took 

 place at Maccasseema, the hospitable home of my friend 

 Mr. E. F. im Thurn, whose kind invitation induced me to 

 visit the colony. 



Maccasseema is situated on the right bank of the Pomeroon 

 Biver, about 30 miles from its mouth, and is about 60 miles 

 from Georgetown. The house is built on the top of a sand- 

 hill, which rises about 30 feet above the river. The forest 

 which once covered the hill has been j)artially cleared, so as 

 to leave space for the garden, which contains a large number 

 of tropical plants and trees, and examples of upwards of sixty 

 species of the order Palmacefe, to which Mr. im Thurn has 

 devoted special attention. 



The garden, from which, however, it is needless to say, 

 the collector's gun is rigorously excluded, is much resorted 

 to by birds. Amongst those most commonly to be seen 

 from the gallery which surrounds the house are perhaps the 

 Blue Saki {Tanagra episcopus) and the Warroo [Rhampho- 



