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. 



PIRIRIGUA, 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 



