198 On the Sea-birds and Waders of the Pacific Coast of Guatemala . 



sliotj and, wheeling round^ left the lagoon. They settled on 

 another, but again took wing long before I was within reach. 

 It is a bird that soars a great deal more than the common species 

 (P. fuscus, It.), which never, to my knowledge, does more than 

 skim the surface of the waves, in flocks of six or eight, or, in 

 larger numbers, fly from its feeding- to its roosting-place. I 

 frequently saw these birds soaring in the air like Vultm-es, and 

 mounting by gyrations till almost lost to sight. After a time 

 they would gradually descend, and then fly ofl" to a lagoon to 

 feed. There must have been nearly a thousand individuals in 

 this huge flock ; and the noise they made, by dashing into the 

 water when feeding, could be heard at a great distance. 1 

 observed they never flew far when in pursuit of fish — twenty or 

 thirty yards, at most, from where they rose, to their plunge on 

 their prey. The water would be quite lashed into a foam where 

 many plunged in together. After several disappointments, I at 

 last was fortunate. The flock was feeding in a lagoon where 

 there were two canoes, in one of which some men were fishing 

 with a drag-net. Seeing that the birds took very little notice 

 of the fishermen, Enrique and I joined them in the other canoe, 

 and, after waiting about for some time, managed, by degrees, to 

 get within shot, when our four barrels brought down four birds. 

 These we had to carry to the rancho in a scorching sun at mid- 

 day. They weighed almost a hundredweight. There were a 

 considerable number of Stone-Curlews [CEdicnemus bistriatus, 

 Wagl.) frequenting the gras&y sava7ias between the lagoons. I used 

 to see them almost every day, and on one occasion found a nest 

 with one egg. They cry at night, just as our English Norfolk 

 Plovers do, the notes being very similar. Musk-Ducks [Cairina 

 moschata, Flem.) being a desideratum to my collection, I devoted 

 one afternoon to the pursuit of them. They are seldom seen in 

 the open water, but prefer the creeks shaded by mangroves, 

 where they abound, resting either on the trees, or swimming 

 in the water. I was unlucky — seeing many, but none within 

 shot. They are wary birds, never allowing one to approach 

 them. Enrique afterwards secured specimens. 



It can easily be imagined that the neighbourhood of so man 

 stagnant pools is by no means healthy. One runs the risk, 



