STEATORXIS. 343 



The male and female appear to be alike, so far as we can judge 

 from the series in the Xational Collection. 



The nestling is very sparsely covered with down, and appears to 

 moult direct into fuU-plumaged feathers, without going througli 

 an intermediate stage. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Xest. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Mount Roraima, Mount Twek^uay, 

 Kamarang River {Whiteli/). 



E.vtralimital Range. Trinidad^ Venezuela, Colombia, East 

 Ecuador. 



Habits. AVe quote the following notes from Mr. Barrington 

 Brown (Canoe and Camp Life, p. '666} : — " Our guide pointed out 

 a cave in which he said the Salies or Guacharo birds live. 

 Wishing to see them, we ascended the slope to it, arriving at a 

 great vertical rent in the rocks, some ten leet wide and lifty 

 feet high. 



"' The Indians halloed and threw stones up amongst the ledges of 

 rock in the recess of the cave, causing the birds to utter a strange 

 squeaking cry, but without starting any from their hiding-places. 

 Upon the uneven lloor were numbers of nuts of the Turn Palm, 

 which had been swallowed bv these birds, and disoorged after the 

 thin pulpy covering had been digested. 



" The Indians had a bush-rope, made fast on the cliff above, let 

 down through a hole in the roof, which they used for climbing up 

 to dislodge the young Salies from their nests on the ledges. They 

 eat these young birds and make oil from their fat. ' 



Family ALCEDIXIDJ:]. 



The South American members of this familv have lonji and 

 pointed bills, laterally compressed. The nostrils are linear in 

 siiape and placed at the base of the upper mandible, close to tho 

 culmenal ridge, the hinder portion being feathered. Tho wings 

 are median in length, the second and third primary-quills being 

 longest and equal. The tails are comparatively short and nearly 

 scpiare. The feet are small and the toes four in number, three of 

 the latter being directed forward, and the claws are sharply curved. 



