304 BIRDS OF BEITISH GUIANA. 



buck, outer pair blackisli with a little white at the base on the inner 

 web, the next two i)air5 barred with black and buff at the base, 

 apical portion white with more or less black on the outer webs ; 

 head inclining to grey with black shaft-lines ; ear-coverts silky 

 orano;e-buff ; a white sjiot on each side of the throat ; under surface 

 paler than above, narrowly barred with dark brown. 



Totiil length 230 mm., culmen 10, wing 141. tail 133, tarsus 21. 



Adult female. Mucii more rutous than the male, the outer 

 primary-quills with a rufous har instead of white; no white in the 

 tail except on the penultimate feathers, which are slightly tipped. 

 Wing 111 mm. 



The descriptions of the male and female are based on examples 

 collected on jthe Ituribisi River. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Nest. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 

 • K'jgs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Mount Roraima, IturiVjisi River, 

 Great Falls, Demerara River, Snpenaam River, Bartica, Kama- 

 kabra River, Bonasika River, Abary River (McConnell collection) ; 

 Bartica {WJdteli/); Morawhanna, Lower Ciiyuni River (Beebe). 



'Kj'tralimitol Range. Xorth Brazil, Trinidad, Venezuela, 

 Colombia, Ecuador, and Central America to Mexico. 



Habits. According to Schomburgk (Reis. Guian. iii. p. IK)) this 

 species is very common in British Giiinna ; one always sees it on 

 the river-borders and open spaces in the woods. After sundown 

 it is very common along the river-borders hunting for insects, 

 during which it continually emits its peculiar wailing note. It 

 was generally in pairs. Its flight is extremely gr;iceful and 

 light ; it skims along just above the ground and often settles 

 for a short time in a small hollow in the earth or the rocks. The 

 eggs are two in numljer. Tiie coloured Indians and the Niggers 

 fear it as a liarl)inger of bad omen.s; and that is the reason why 

 they never kill it. 



Genus THERMOCHALCIS Richm. 



Thermochalcls llifl)mond, Pi-ul-. Biol. Soc. Washiugtoii, xxviii. p. 179, 



Xov. 29, 1915. Type T. cai/enuensis (Gmel.j. 

 Stenopsis Cassin, Proc. Acad. Xat. Sci. Pliiladelj^liia, ISol, p. 179 fnec 



iStenopsis Uatine.sque). 



This genus is characterized l)y having the tail s<pi:ire af the tij) 

 or -lightly emaigiiiate. 



