Migratory Birds in British Guiana. 263 



in marked contrast with other forms, sometimes even of 

 the same genus, which are constant residents. 



More special examples of migrants are to be found in 

 the Bob-o'link or small Rice-bird, in the Red-bird, and the 

 American Cuckoo (Coccygus americaniis) , representa- 

 tives of the three families of the Hangnests, the Tanagers 

 and the Cuckoos, which may be called most distin6lively 

 tropical, since almost the whole number of species are 

 constant residents in the tropics. It is noteworthy that 

 in the case of the Red-birds (Pyranga asstiva) they seem 

 to occur only on the high lands of the interior, having 

 never been taken on the coast lands ; while the Cuckoo 

 appears commonly on the coast. 



Another special example is to be found in the northern 

 Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) , of which two examples have 

 been found on the coast. This migrant of the northern 

 regions is known to descend to several parts of Central 

 America and the West Indies, but the Guianas would 

 seem to be its extreme range southwards. The King- 

 bird, too, the most typical of the northern tyrant-shrikes, 

 seems occasionally to descend as a straggler to winter 

 with us. 



The most interesting and the most noticeable cases of 

 migration, however, occur among the members of the 

 Grallae, Towards the end of August, and the beginning 

 of September, great flights of many species make their 

 appearance, more especially on the open grassy lands 

 and savannahs ; and in fa6l, the first of September, the 

 time of the arrival of these birds, has been fixed by 

 the Legislature as the beginning of the open or shoot- 

 ing season for certain game birds, the five months 

 previous being by law declared a close season for all 



