242 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



' Old Witches ' (Crotoj/Jun/a major), which meantime was fillinf]; 

 the air with its piercing death shrieks. Wounded birds are some- 

 times thus seized and carried off, even though the sportsman may 

 Vje standing Avithin a few yards of the place where the bird has 

 fallen or is struggling. A few months ago, it was my experience 

 to witness the carrying-off by one of these f)irds, of a Yellow- 

 backed Hang-nest (Cassicus persicus) which had been shot, and 

 had been caught in the creepers about a by no means high tree, 

 into which ir fell, while it struiioled in its death throes. The 

 hawk, sitting unseen in some trees close by, had evidently ob- 

 served the fall of the bird, and hearing; its cries and struggles, 

 hud seized the o{)portimity of an easy meal. It darted suddenly 

 into the creeper and, ere a gun could cover it, had flown away 

 with the dying ))ird. 



" In all parts of the Colony, they are to be met with. On the 

 outskirts of the town, or in the country districts; in the low bush, 

 or dense tall forests of the interior ; in the open savannahs, or on 

 the high lands ; along the open, sheltered or secluded creeks and 

 rivers, or on the exposed mud-flats and swamps, they are almost 

 always to be seen, either perching on some stump or branch, 

 walking on the ground, or flying overhead, while seeking for 

 mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, crustaceans, or worms, or 

 even fruits and seeds, which seem to be equally accei)table. Tiieir 

 cry is a very characteristic one, frerjuently repeated as they perch, 

 motionless, on the top of the high dead branches of some great 

 forest tree, where doubtless they build their nests. 



" This is the only hawk, which, to my knowledge, having 

 mistaken the stuffed skins of birds put out in the sun to dry, for 

 real bodies, lias ever been bold or venturesome enough to dart at 

 them and attempt to carry them off, even in the presence of 

 persons standing not more than a few vards from the spot." 



Genus BUSARELLUS Lafr. 



Bmarellvs Lafresnaye, Diet. d'Hist. Xat. Td'Orb.) ii. p. 7S.5, 1842. 

 Ty{)e B. niffricoJUs (Lath.). 



This monotyjiic genus is distinguished l)y having the soles of 

 the feet covered with rugose and thorny spic ilcs. 



