Some Colony Birds. 819 



is almost white and gives the bird a ghostly look. As there are in the 

 colony at least ten other birds entirely black, it is singularly misnamed. 

 I propose to call it the Rudder-tail from a curious feature of that 

 appendage which I will describe. The tail which is fairly long, opens out 

 like a fan, and when it flies, the middle feathers drop a little and in 

 consequence the tail seems to have assumed a perpendicular position like 

 the rudder of a boat or the caudal fin of a fish, in point of fact, it becomes 

 V-shaped. This feature marks it out at once from all the other birds of 

 the colony and indeed from all other birds I know. 



The Rudder-tail (as I proceed to call it) is veiy common along the 

 Corentyne Coast and may be seen in pairs. A great number have 

 established themselves about the grounds of the Berbice Asylum where 

 they stalk about with all the self-assurance of legal proprietors. There 

 they build their nests (huge affairs of sticks and straw) in orange trees, 

 and low bushes well within the reach of most persons. The eggs, four in 

 number, are whitish with purple patches, streaks, and blotches. 



When I essayed to take a nest of youngsters, the whole tribe 

 assembled and by loud cries and gestures showed the strongest disapproval 

 of the procedure. The boldest of them flapped their wings almost in my 

 face. I succeeded in rearing one of the young ones but it did not come 

 up to my expectations in point of intelligence. Before it was fully 

 mature it contrived to slip through the door of the cage, and, contrary to 

 its starling nature, never returned. 



The Quiscalus lugubris derives its names from its voice : the former 

 from a fancied resemblance of its note to that of a quail (quisquila, a 

 quail, Lat.), and lugubris, mournful. Its note, however, is not more 

 mournful than many other birds of its class. It has a way, something 

 like the yellow-backs, of lowering its head, dropping its wings and tail, 

 and fluttering its feathers when it wishes to be admired, uttering at the 

 same time several bell-like notes : te-wit, te-wit, te-wit, yessir, yessir, 

 what, sir ? " 



A few years ago quite a number inhabited the trees along the 

 Ylissengen Road : but since the construction of the new Race Course 

 only a few remain. 



The Reed Bird. 



Of much the same size and build as the Rudder-tail is the Reed- 

 bird or Yellow-head, as it is popularly called ; but its habits are more 

 retiring. He is clothed in a suit of velvet black with the exception of 

 the head and neck which are yellow. He holds himself erect and has the 

 appearance of a dandy in evening dress with a yellow face and wig 

 instead of a white shirt-front. I am always expecting to see him drop 

 a monocle and carefully adjust it again. There are black feathers 

 around the eye and on the lore, which, together with the shape of the 

 head and sharp beak, give him a foxy look. The scientific name. 

 Agelaeus icteroccpJi.alus, " the gregarious icterus-head." suits him very 



