130 RIO PARANA. [CHAP. vil. 



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 quickness, 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 primary 

 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 Eio 

 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 in 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 I suspect that the Khynchops 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 mactrte buried in the sand-banks on 

 the coast of Chile : from their 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 mentioning. One is a small king- 

 fisher (Ceryle Americana) ; it has a longer tail than the European 



