82 BIKDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



JVest. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



i^ggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Ituribisi River, Supenaam River, 

 Abary River, Curubung, Groto Creek (McConneU collection) ; 

 Merume Mountains, Yuruani River ( Whitely) ; Cartoonie River 

 (^Broion) . 



Extrulimital Range. Surinam [Penanl), Venezuela, Colombia, 

 Ecuador, Peru, Southern Brazil. 



Habits. Schomburgk states (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 7G5) that this 

 species is found commonly in pairs on stagnant creeks and rivers 

 shaded with overhanging vegetation. When pursued they rarely 

 dive, but fly along the surface of the water or hide in the bush. 

 The " Macusis '' call it Yaiviwa and the " Warraus '^ OraniJi. 

 The only time he saw it dive was when wounded. Its voice 

 is peculiar. It has been said by others that when danger 

 threatens the young the parent takes them under its .wings 

 until it reaches a place of safety. 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehri (2) ii. p. 373) observed this species 

 on the Abary River, and remarks : — "A Little Ducklar or Frog- 

 footed Duck {Heliornis fulica), di\.v\\. brown above and grey below, 

 with streaks of white on the head and neck, with a sharp and 

 narrow bill, and with a web divided up around the toes, was often 

 seen skimming along the surface of the water, which its wings 

 and feet often just slightly splashed, but more frequently they 

 were but just seen before they disappeared below the water." 



Order PODICIPIDIFORMES. 

 Family PODICIPIDiE. 



The Grebes are easily distinguished from all other birds by 

 their compressed tarsi, broadly lobed toes, and their obsolete 

 tails. They are distributed on all the large continents of the 

 world. Nine species are known in South America, one being 

 represented in British Guiana. 



Genus TACHYBAPTUS Reichenb. 



Tachylajytus Reiclienbach, Syst. Nat. Vog. p. iii, 1850, Type T. rufi- 

 collis (Vroeg). 



The South American birds of this genus are of small size, with 

 thin and almost straight bills. 



