BRITISH GUIANA (1) 99 
Palm and Silver-beaked Tanagers, the latter being especially 
showy with their crimson and black plumage. The most con- 
spicuous bird was the Sulphury Tyrant, always making its pres- 
ence known by its continuous loud call-notes which resemble a 
musical version of “Ow’est ce qu'il dit,’ hence the Colonial name 
Kiskadee which is now established throughout the Guianas. This 
bird is a flycatcher with shrike-like habits. 
White-bellied Emerald Humming-birds flitted here and there, 
alternately chasing one another and hovering while sucking nectar 
from some flower. The more I watched these animated creatures 
the more they reminded me of dragon-flies—stationary at one mo- 
ment and off like a flash the next. Their speed of acceleration 
from a stationary position is remarkable, and even more so their 
ability to fly backwards! Their wing-movements are much too fast 
(sixty to one hundred beats per second) to see what happens when 
they change from the forward to the backward movement, but it 
can be observed in any zoo when a humming-bird approaches its 
feeding bottle in flight, for after hovering and feeding for a while 
it usually backs away before flying off. 
The midday temperature in Paramaribo was 1oo0°F. in the shade 
which, owing to the high humidity, was distinctly uncomfortable. 
Most of the passengers were weary and bored when we left that 
evening but to me the day had been one of adventure. The insect 
life alone—particularly the butterflies—was enough to make one 
gasp. By the time we steamed down the Surinam River, I was 
keyed up for exploration. My one desire was to get somewhere in 
the primitive forest away from the shackles of civilization. 
The following day we reached Georgetown, the capital of 
British Guiana, some two hundred and fifteen miles to the north- 
west. I found it quite a delightful place with moderately good 
hotels, tree-lined streets, and delightful Botanical Gardens. Al- 
though only just on the edge of the town, the last was a splendid 
place for bird-life. The most impressive sight was before sundown 
when Snowy Egrets started to arrive to roost. They came from 
all directions, and by the time it was dusk their favorite roosting- 
trees were packed with thousands of snowy-white forms. With 
them were a small number of Tricolored Herons. As all these 
were about to settle down for the night, the night herons which 
