510 r.IRDS FROM NICARAOUA AND COSTA KICA KICHMOND. 



who was living? on a small ])laiitatioii bordcriiifr the river. lie was 

 Avell acquainted witli the birds of the re.^ioii, but had never seen this 

 species near his clearing, nor did 1, during several days stay there; yet 

 li miles down the river it Avas common. Mr. Hansen told me that he 

 had seen this species on some of the small rivers emptying into Lake 

 Ni(;aragua from the east. It was known, lu^ said, as " Espiritu Santo," 

 or Holy CJhost bird, 8ei)tember li8 I sliot a female from a tall trumpet 

 tree on the Escondido, and at the same locality on January 5, 1893, ^Ir. 

 (1. E. Mitchell shot ten, mostly males, Mhich were feeding in a berry- 

 laden tree in the plantation. Mr. Mitchell did not hear the birds utter 

 a note, nor did any of the individuals observed by me make a noise of 

 any description. January ID, while on ])oard a steamer going down the 

 river, Ave observed three more of the birds in a trumpet tree on the 

 river's edge. 



Length of an adult male in the tlesh, 10 inches. Iris veiy dark 

 brown; bill, plumbeous, with black line along the culmen; feet and 

 legs i^lumbeous. 



Family MOMOTID.K. 



156. Uiospatha martii (S])ix). 



Apparently rare. Noled on tin- I'^scondido. 



157. Moniotus lessoni Less. 



Occasionally met with in the forest. The note is not very i>cnetrat- 

 ing; it resend)les " hoo-hoo," given in a rather jerky manner, and 

 sounds far away, ev^Mi when the bird is ch)seat hand. 



158. Prionirhynchus platyrhynchus (Lead!).). 

 Collected on the J^jScon<lido l»y Wickliain; I did not see it. 



Family ALCEDINIDyE. 

 159. Ceryle torquata (Linn.). 



Very common. Tliis sjx'cie.s has a note similar to that of (J. alcifon, 

 but somewhat stronger. 



One morning a pair of these birds went through a very curious per- 

 formance. Attention was first caUed to them by their loud rattling- 

 cry, whi(;h was kept up almost constantly as they circled and gyrated 

 ab(mt over the water, occasionally dropping — not diving — into the 

 the Avater, and sinking below the surface for a moment. This maneu- 

 vering lasted some minutes, after Avhich both birds Ik^w up stream utter- 

 ing their ordinary note. 



Two or tliiee individuals AAcre in the habit of passing the night at 

 some [)oint on the creek back of the " I. 1'." jdantation, and came OA^er 

 Just about dusk eA'<'ry CA'cning. I noticed them for several months, 

 and was struck Avith the regularity of their coming, ami the ccmrse 

 taken by each on its Avay to the roost. The birds could be heard a 



