202 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



pltnratvs), a fierce and boM little fellow, who is constantlv to Le 

 Seen living around and even attacking the numerous hawks and 

 vultures, when they approach too near his dwelling. The nest of 

 this bird is an untidy-looking object, built of dry grasses, and 

 always placed in a conspicuous position ; sometimes in a low bush 

 close to the ground ; at otliers on the branch of a high tree. The 

 entrance is at the side, and the eggs, three in number, are of a 

 creamy white, spotted with grey and brown, chiefly at the round 

 end." 



J. J. Quelch (Timehri (2) v. pp. 88, 89) observed this species 

 in Georgetown, and remarks: — "One of the most typical and 

 the commonest about town, is the large Kiskadee (Pitangus sul- 

 phuratus), whose loud, harsh and fierce cry of ' kis-kii-kiskadee ' 

 i> to be heard at all times of the day and all over the city, though 

 often they give utterance to a more subdued note like a nasal 

 ' tweek.' 



" It is a fierce and cruel bird, having special fondness for the 

 y(}ung of other birds as food, taking them from the nest wlnn 

 chance offers. Their diet is a liberal one, since they feed on flesh, 

 fruits, seedS; worms, insects, etc. ; and while on the one hand 

 they are of use in gardens as insectivorus creatures, on the other 

 they are nuisances as being equally destructive to fruits. Of 

 grapes and peppers they are extremely fond, and they will often 

 be noticed swallowing large quantities of the fruits. They are 

 markedly quarrelsome and pugnacious, and will never hesitate in 

 attacking and driving away larger birds such as vultures and 

 hawks, which they often seem to delight in pursuing. The 

 swallows and humming-birds, however, often attack and pursue 

 them, and occasionally when the Kiskadees are darting and 

 pecking at a hawk or vulture, a humming-bird may be seen 

 pursuing the Tyrant and driving him off/' 



C. A. Lloyd (Timehri (2) xi. p. 4j writes as follows : — '' The 

 Ki.-kadee {Pitangus sulphuratiis) is remarkable for the manner in 

 which it departs from the generality in the construction of their 

 nests. The Kiskadee builds a large globular nest, and lays three 

 eggs, spotted '.vitli bl:icki>h brown, the spots being concentrated 

 towards the larger end. Young Kiskadees are often infested with 

 the larvce of a spi-cies of .^Estrus {^Dermatohia noxialis), known here 

 as the ' mosquito worm.' At times these parasites are present 

 in such astonishinu; numbers that it is difficult to understand how 



