1833.] THE SCISSOR BEAK. 143 



bills wide open, and the lower mandible half buried in the 

 water. Thus skimming the surface, they ploughed it in 

 their course : the water was quite smooth, and it formed 

 a most curious spectacle to behold a flock, each bird 

 leaving- its narrow wake on the mirror-like surface. In 

 their flight they frequently twist about with extreme quick- 

 ness, and dexterously manage with their projecting lower 

 mandible to plough up small fish, which are secured by the 

 upper and shorter half of their scissor-like bills. This fact 

 I repeatedly saw, as, like swallows, they continued to fly 

 backwards and forwards close before me. Occasionally 

 when leaving the surface of the water their flight was wild, 

 irregular, and rapid ; they then uttered loud harsh cries. 

 When these birds are fishing, the advantage of the long 

 primaiy feathers of their wings, in keeping them dry, is 

 very evident. When thus employed, their forms resemble 

 the symbol by which many artists represent marine birds. 

 Their tails are much used in steering their irregular course. 



These birds are common far inland along the course of 

 the Rio Parana ; it is said that they remain here during 

 the whole year, and breed in the marshes. During the day 

 they rest in flocks on the grassy plains, at some distance 

 from the water. Being at anchor, as I have said, in one 

 of the deep creeks between the islands of the Parana, as 

 the evening drew to a close, one of these scissor-beaks 

 suddenly appeared. The water was quite still, and many 

 little fish were rising. The bird continued for a long time 

 to skim the surface, flying on its wild and irregular manner 

 up and down the narrow canal, now dark with the growing 

 night and the shadows of the overhanging trees. At Monte 

 Video I observed that some large flocks during the day 

 remained on the mud-banks at the head of the harbour, 

 in the same manner as on the grassy plains near the 

 Parana ; and every evening they tooK flight seaward. 

 From these facts 1 suspect that the Rhynchops generally 

 fishes by night, at which time many of the lower animals 

 come most abundantly to the surface. M. Lesson states 

 that he has seen these birds opening the shells of the mactnp 

 buried in the sand-banks on the coast of Chile ; from thoii 

 weak bills, with the lower mandible so much projecting, 

 their short legs and long wings, it is very improbable that 

 this can be a general habit. 



In our course down the Parana, I observed only three 

 other birds, whose habits are worth mentionin g. One is 



