Zoological Society. 139 



gyrations, at an equal height ; the head of the bird, if it be examined 

 with a glass, being seen turning from side to side. The latter is a 

 rapid and energetic advance, every hundred yards or so the speed 

 being increased by several vigorous flaps of the wings. It appears to 

 me to be quite unnecessary to enter into the discussion, as to whether 

 this bird hunts by sight or scent, as it is quite sufficiently estabUshed 

 that it is assisted by both senses. The instant a snake is killed, the 

 Carrion Crow will, if in the neighbourhood, sight the object, and 

 speedily descend and commence his attacks upon the dead animal. 

 Or if a negro lets fall a calabash with eggs, and they are broken, the 

 Carrion Crow will soon be seen feasting on the unwonted luxury. If, 

 on the other hand, a body be imperfectly interred, this bird will, so 

 soon as putrefaction has commenced, be seen in the neighbourhood 

 perched upon a tree or tombstone, and apparently much puzzled to 

 know where the piece of mortality can lie concealed which evolves 

 the, to him^ delicious fragrancy. If the body be that of a tough- 

 skinned animal, such as an ox or horse, the Crows will wait, perched 

 on trees in the neighbourhood, until putrefaction has softened it suffi- 

 ciently for them to feed on it. Their bills and feet are remarkably 

 weak. They build in very high trees nests of broken sticks. The 

 eggs when broken have a semi-putrid odour. It is worthy of remark 

 that the Carrion Crow is common about the streets of New Amster- 

 dam, scarcely getting out of the way of the passengers ; while in George- 

 town, not more than sixty miles distance, this bird is never seen in 

 the streets. The former town is said to be much more cleanly and 

 well-kept than the latter. 



The Yellow-necked Carrion Crow. 



This bird is smaller and more slender than the common Carrion 

 Crow. It is found principally about the creeks of Mahaica and Ma- 

 haicony. It is less numerous than the Black-headed Carrion Crow. 

 It is not either so gregarious a feeder, and appears to search for 

 smaller carcases, such as the putrid fish on the dried savannahs bor- 

 dering the creeks. There is certainly, with the exception of the 

 colour of the head and neck, the absence of warts, and the slender 

 form of the body, but a very slight specific difference between this 

 bird and the former. The colour is black, with blue and greenish 

 iridescence. 



The Fishing-Hawk. Pandion. 



A very handsome little fishing Eagle. I do not thuak this is the 

 same species as Le Balbusard of Cuvier. It enlivens very much the 

 scene about the flat swampy lands of the sea-coast, when the trenches 

 are full with the mixed tide and bush water. It hovers for a length 

 of time in one spot at a considerable height, and then suddenly de- 

 scends vertically on its finny prey, or it alters its position to another 

 part of the trench. When it makes a capture it flies off to a neigh- 

 bouring tree to devour it. 



The Large Blue Hawk of the Cataracts. 



This bird I shot with a single bullet while descending the long and 



