Results of a Visit to South Guyana. 163 



result of only seven shots, besides the number of wounded 

 that escaped capture. Sandpipers, Plovers, and milk were 

 our only articles of diet during these two days. 



Crossing the lake, which is excessively shallow and studded 

 with newly-made islands of marsh-grass, we were surprised 

 with the incredible number of wild Ducks {Dendrocygna 

 discolor*, D. viduata, and Cairina moschata) which we saw. 

 White Herons were here in swarms, and Blue Herons, Spoon- 

 bills (Platalea ajaja], and '' Magoarys " {Ardea cocoi) were 

 disturbed every moment. Besides these arose flights of from 

 20 to 40 individuals of the Scarlet Ibis in every sort of 

 plumage, the adult and quite red ones being usually separate 

 from the younger and dark-coloured. 



The borders of the lake were occupied with a large girdle of 

 water-lilies [Nymphaa rudgeand), inhabited by many families 

 o^ Parrajacana. It was not easy to get our boat through 

 this girdle of leaves, and hours of hard rowing and all our 

 united efforts were necessary to make a direct distance of a 

 few kilometres. 



It was nearly evening when we reached the cattle-settle- 

 ment of one of our guides and boatmen, two primitive cottages 

 covered with palm-tree-leaves. We were struck with the 

 resemblance of the landscape around this " sitio '' with that 

 of the campos-region in the eastern and northern part of the 

 island of Marajo, and with the physical characters of the 

 interior of Mexiana, as described by Wallace. The bird-life 

 offered numerous similarities of parentage. Thousands 

 of Ducks flew at different heights over our heads, endea- 

 vouring to regain the reedy meadows on the borders of the 

 lake. Alternating with the Ducks passed flights of the large 

 "Passarao'^ [Tantalus locMlator), and Ibises and Spoonbills, 

 these two generally observing a cuneiform arrangement. 

 The Musky Duck [Cairina moschata) is common in this 



* I have matei-ials for a special note on the nesting of D. discolor, and 

 I believe that their publication may be of interest to ornithologists, as 

 the specific distinctness of D. discolor and D. autumnalis vriW become 

 certain only on the elucidation of the whole life-history of both 

 species. — E. A. G. 



