76 The Birds of llrilisli Guiana. 



The Birds of British Guiana. 



Bv Cjias. Dawson, S.j., Al.A. ((Jxc)\.), 



This atticlc lis rei)riiited liuni I In; ". Journal of the lioard of 

 Ayiicull lire (if Krit. (Jiiiaiia." with oiii' ajxdog'es 1111(1 thanks to the I'^ditor, 

 Antlior and l*r(i|triotor.s. — Kditm- " Hii;i) Xo'lKS." 



I. 



I purpose in this and in iollou iiiL,^ articles lo .f^ivo a 

 brief, i^eneral description ol all the Classes, Uitlers, I'aiuilies. 

 and Genera of the birds of the Colony with some account 

 also lof their habits, characteristics, and affinities. I shall treat 

 separately such speties as are typical, abnormal, or in any 

 way worthy of special mention. The reader is sujjposed to be 

 familiar with the specimens in th:- local museum and to liave 

 some iknowledge at least of Orinthiology. 



There are m the world upwards ol se\-enleen thousand 

 species of birds known to science, of which this Colony can 

 boast some seven or eight hundred. 



I append; a complete list of the Colony birds, which 1 

 have compiled from the Hand-List of the British Museum. 1 

 may remark in passing that there are nian\- more species of 

 birds found in this Colony than arc notihed as such in that 

 Hand-List (1899- 191 2). 



A few years ago. The Argosy published a list ol 

 Colony birds drawn up by Mr. Rodway from the specimens 

 c-ollectcd by Mr. Quelcli, B.Sc, the foinier Curator of the 

 Museum, but it is now out of prml and, moreover, needs 

 revision. TreMousl)-, in the year 1884. Usberl Sahin, M.A., 

 F.R.S., published a list of British Cuiaiia Birds in the "Ibis,"' 

 based upon a series of collections made by Henry Whiteicy 

 duriuy the years 1879-84; but this also is not now procurable 

 and would need revision. 



To the former of these lists 1 am indebted for the 

 English names of many birds. Where no J:.ngli5h name 

 appears to exist 1 have ventured to supply that defect by 

 one suggested either in the Latin title or by some peculiarity 

 of the bird itself; this I have indicated by a dagger, thus: f. 

 1 refrain from naming a bird from its discoverer, as for ia- 



