56 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society. [I; 2 



I secured two specimens for the skin and the skeleton re- 

 spectively and found them in an interestingly irregular moult. 

 In one (Coll. No. 1138), the right 3rd primary, and the left 4th, 

 7th and 10th, are about half grown. In the tail, the next to the 

 outer pair and the right central rectrices are in the same stage 

 of growth, while blood feathers are scattered here and there 

 over the body. 



The second Hoatzin examined (Coll. No. 1139), was in a 

 still more dishevelled condition of plumage. Both wings and 

 tail were badly frayed and broken. Instead of the full number 

 of ten tail feathers, only five were present, one of which was half 

 grown. Three blood-filled sheaths just appearing above the 

 surface of the skin, represented the remainder. In the right 

 wing, the 2nd, 8th, 18th, 19th and 20th were considerably less 

 than half grown. The head, back and thighs of this individual 

 showed heavy moult, besides many growing feathers over the 

 rest of the body. 



The crops of these birds were distended with a finely com- 

 minuted mass of bright green vegetable matter, the leaves of the 

 mangroves and some other river growths. 



In one crop, scales and the remains of a small fish were also 

 present, and as we once saw a Hoatzin with dripping plumage, 

 creeping from the water up a slanting mangrove root, it may be 

 that the adult birds retain some of the natatory skill which 

 characterizes the nestlings. This, however, is mere conjecture. 

 The scales in this instance were those of the little four-eyed fish 

 {Anableps anableps), so common about the muddy shores of the 

 Caiios. 



Part VIII — Field Notes in British Guiana. 



On April 12th, 1909, Mrs. Beebe and I reached a bungalow 

 used as the headquarters of a rice plantation, some twenty miles 

 up the Abary River in British Guiana. Through the kindness of 

 Mr. and Mrs. Lindley Vinton we obtained permission to remain 

 here several days, with excellent opportunities of studying the 

 Hoatzins. Three days after our arrival, Mrs. Beebe had the 

 misfortune to break her arm and we were compelled to leave at 

 once, with only a few notes and photographs. These are, how- 

 ever, of sufficient interest to warrant publication. 



The Abary River is, at this point, some twenty yards across, 

 and winds through a great treeless savanna marsh in a general 

 north and south direction. The east bank is for the most part 

 clear of growth except for the reeds and grasses of the savanna. 

 Along the western bank is a dense shrubby or bushy line of vege- 



