56 



rivers which are always to be met with during the whole day. The 

 first is 



The Laughing Hawk. 



A well-known bird, which has been described by Waterton, Schom- 

 burgk and others. It is remarkably noisy, and is generally seen in 

 company with three or four others of the same species flying about 

 and perching on the high trees on the borders of creeks, uttering 

 almost constantly a discordant loud gabbling, from whence it has got 

 the name of the "Laughing Hawk." This bird feeds on eggs, youiig 

 birds, insects, and does not despise certain sorts of fruit. It is, in 

 fact, omnivorous. 



The Yellow-headed Carracarra Hawk. 



Smaller than the preceding. Three or four are generally seen to- 

 gether. They frequent chiefly in the months of September, October, 

 and November, when the guana and river turtle lay their eggs, the 

 extensive sand-banks on the river Essequibo, beyond the first rapids 

 in latitude G° 1 0'. I have seen them in companies of from three to 

 five, assiduously scratching up the sand in which the guana or turtle 

 had laid ; and as these reptiles deposit their eggs at least eight inches 

 beneath the surface, their rasorial powers are very considerable. The 

 sands on this part of the Essequibo extend in every direction, lying 

 on the beautiful bosom of the placid river, among finely wooded islands 

 of all sizes, with most inviting sand beaches, enticing you to land at 

 every turn. If you do land, you will probably see on the hard fine 

 sand the scrambling track of a guana, which, if petrified, would set 

 a palaeontologist frantic with delight. Close by, the steadier and 

 more decided footstep of the cayman, clearly showing that he is made 

 of somewhat sterner stuff than his herbivorous friend, and still further 

 off, a camoude has dragged his slow length along. There are tracks 

 of turtle, ducks, snipes, lizards, and all sorts of Caprice ; in fact, a 

 first-rate piece of interesting geology, only not baked or compressed 

 yet. Edging the bank is the eternal forest. 



The Red-headed Carracarra. 



This bird is of the same size as the preceding, but its habits are 

 somewhat different, as its food appears to be principally confined to 

 insects and small reptiles. I found the stomach of one I dissected 

 full of fragments of beetles. Mr. Swainson places these birds at the 

 head of the Kites, where they are certainly more naturally situated 

 than among the Eagles, where they are placed by Cuvier. 



The next birds are the Awl-beaked Fish-Hawks. I only know 

 two, and they are very near one another. 



The Larger Awl-beaked Fish-Hawk 



Is remarkable for the great length of the curve of the upper man- 

 dible, and is somewhat larger than the next. Both are savannah 

 birds, feeding on freshwater fish. They are often seen in large flocks, 

 particularly on an extensive savannah, through a part of which is dug 



