07 
the freshwater canal called the “ Lamaha,”’ which was intended to 
supply the city of Georgetown with water. They prey particularly 
on the Hassar (Callichthys, Schomb.). This curious fish, which 
builds a nest in or under which it lays its eggs, is found in abundance 
in the small pools and water-holes of the savannahs. It is a very do- 
mestic fish. The female, when the time for spawning arrives, collects 
a number of small pieces of stick, and places them together, across 
one another; it then, descending beneath this structure, which is 
about a foot in diameter, exspumates a quantity of viscid matter, 
which, being mingled with air, causes the nest to float. In this viscid 
exspumation the eggs are laid, and both the male and female remain 
near the nest, making furious strokes at any intruder; and as they 
are provided with a very sharp bony first ray to the dorsal fin, if a 
wound be inflicted it is generally a severe one. The form of the beak 
of the Fish-Hawk is admirably adapted for separating the plates of 
mail in which the Hassar is enveloped. It is when the water in the 
pools and water-holes is reduced in the first part of the dry season to 
soft mud, that flocks of these birds are seen on the savannahs, feast- 
ing on Hassar. 
The SmaLtLerR AWL-BEAKED Fisu-Hawk. 
Habits the same as the former. From the habits of this group of 
birds of scouring the savannahs in search of prey, the length of their 
wings, and the strength of their claws, they approach near to the 
Harriers. 
The Scissors-raitep Kite. Nauelerus furcatus. 
This is a very graceful bird, and is generally seen soaring, with 
widely-forked tail, above the lower parts of creeks, or over rivers when 
the water is fresh. They are, when perched, generally in companies 
of from five to six. They strike at small birds, creepers and such 
like, when feeding. I do not think that they strike at birds on the 
wing, and I never saw the Nauclerus pounce on a fish, although they 
appear to prefer to soar over the broad parts of creeks and fresh rivers. 
In fact, they are scarcely ever seen elsewhere. The Camouni creek, 
a few hours’ sail up the Demerary river, is a favourite haunt of the 
Scissors-tail. Here they may be seen by the now rare traveller in 
this once thickly populated and very beautiful creek, either soaring 
high up in the brilliant sunshine, with a gentle undulatory motion, 
moving the head from side to side, and alternately opening and shut- 
ting the fork of the tail, whence their name of “ Scissors-tail’’ ;_ or 
perched in a small company upon some high creek-side tree, attracted 
probably by a flock of creepers or manakins. In coming down the 
Camouni one morning with a pleasant company of sportsmen—we 
had bivouacked near the source of the river the night before—I was 
much struck with the remarkable gracefulness and beauty of the Nau- 
clerus. A company of six had selected a high tree cluse to the water’s 
edge, at a wide and graceful bend. The approach of our boat alarmed 
them, and they flew up and around the tree as if inclined to settle 
again after we had passed on; but on one of our party firing, the 
