GUIRA CUCKOO 15 
The other species, the smallest of its family in 
South America, the Little Kingfisher, Ceryle ameri- 
cana, is about the size of the European Kingfisher, 
and resembles the last one described in its colouring. 
In its habits and language it also resembles the 
C. amazona. 
It should be noted that the Kingfishers are poorly 
represented in South America, there being but eight 
species known in the entire continent, and these all 
of the one genus Ceryle. In the Old World there 
are 120 species known, and many genera. 
GUIRA CUCKOO 
Guira piririgua 
Above dark brown with white shaft-stripes; head brown; wings 
reddish brown; rump white; tail white, crossed by a broad black 
band, the two central feathers uniform brown; beneath dull white; 
throat and breast with long linear black shaft-stripes ; bill and feet 
yellow ; length 15 inches. Female similar. 
Piriricua, the specific term adopted by naturalists 
for this bird, is, according to Azara, the verna- 
cular name of the species in Paraguay. He says in 
that country it is abundant, but scarce in the Plata 
district. No doubt it has greatly increased and 
extended its range southwards during the hundred 
years which have elapsed since his time, as it is now 
very common in Buenos Ayres, where its vernacular 
name is Urraca (Magpie). In the last-named country 
