VOLYBOKUS. — IBYCTER. 215 



advanced before the wind, throwing up puffs of dark smoke, 

 numbers of Lirge Savanna Kites sprang up as if by magic, from 

 low neiohbourino; trees, and hovered in advance of the line of 

 fire, on the watch for snakes, mice, rats, lizards, etc., that were 

 flying before the destructive flame. One of these birds dropped 

 suddenly in the grass close to me, and as quickly rose again, 

 with a rat in its talons, which it carried to a low tree, and then 

 giving it a peck or two, swallowed it whole/' 



Genus IBYCTER Vieill. 



Ihycfer Yieillot, Anal. nouv. Orn. p. 22, 1816. Tvpe I. americamis 

 (Bodd.). 



This genus differs from the preceding one in the shape of the 

 ])ill, the position of the rounded nostrils, the bare throat, the 

 innermost secondaries about equal in length to the innermost 

 primary, and the comparatively longer tail. 



134. Ibycter ater. 



Yellow-throated Caracara. 



Dcqjtrlus ater Yieill. Anal. nouv. Orn. pp. 22, 68, 1816 (Brazil) ; Cab. 



in Schomb. Eeis. Guian. iii. p. 742, 1848. 

 Ihycier ater Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 35, 1874 ; balvin, Ibis, 1886, 



p. 78 ; Brabourne ct Chubb, B. 8. Amer. i. j). 62, no. 574, 1912. 



Adult male. General colour everywhere black, both above and 

 below, except the base of the tail, which is white. 



Total length 383 mm., culmen 29, wing29G, tail 180, tarsus 52, 

 middle toe and claw 48. 



Ad nit female. Similar to the adult male. AVing 308 mm. 



The male described was collected at Bartica. 



There are two specimens, apparently immature, one from ihe 

 Kamakabra River and the other from the Ituribisi Kiver, which 

 have the under surface barred with bufi'y-white, white mottled 

 patches on the primary -quills, and the greater j)ortion of the tail 

 broadly barreil with white. 



Dreediiifj-seasoa. Unknown in Britisli' Guiana. 



I\est. " It nests on trees " [Schomlnirgk). 



Kggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Jiaiiije in British Guiana. Ituribisi liivor, Supenaam Uivcr, 

 Bartica, Kamakabra Uiver, Hoobaboo Ifivor. Cako Itivcr, Tiocr 

 Creek (.]fc('onnell ccUeclivn). 



