220 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



somewhat paler on the flight-quills, lateral tail-feathers also paler 

 than the middle ones, the outermost ])air narrowly edged on the 

 outer webs and at the tips with white, as are also the tips of the 

 middle feathers ; entire crown of head and nuchal crest bright 

 scarlet ; throat and entire under surface also scarlet but not so 

 brioht as the head ; axiliaries and under wing-coverts blackish 

 with a slight admixture of scarlet on the latter ; quills below and 

 lower aspect of tail brown with white tips to some of the latter. 



Total length 118 mm., exposed culmen 10, wing 71, tail 48, 

 tarsus 17. 



The example from which the description is taken was collected 

 in the Upper Takutu Mountains in 1908. 



Adult female. Differs from the adult male in having the crown 

 of the head earth-brown like the back, the throat dull white, the 

 breast streaked with brown, and the abdomen paler red. Wing 

 G8 mm. 



The young of both sexes are dark brown on the upper surface 

 with buft'y white edgings to the feathers, the outermost pair of 

 tail-feathers white on the outer webs. Throat and fore-neck white, 

 breast and sides of body brown with whitish margins to the 

 feathers ; abdomen and under tail-coverts white or buffy w^hite. 

 The red on the under surface usually appears first on the under 

 tail-coverts and increases towards the throat. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



J^est. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Eygs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Up})er Takutu Mountains (McConnell 

 collection) ; Annai ( Whitelij). 



Extralimital Range. Venezuela. 



Habits. Schomburgk states (lleis. Guian. iii. p. 700) that this 

 species is found only in the higher and dry savannas, where the male 

 and female sit in pairs waiting to catch insects flying past. He also 

 says that the natives of Brazil regard this bird as a token of love. 

 When young couples become engaged, they are presented with 

 a sun-dried specimen which is worn on the breast, and it is 

 believed that, as long as this is done, the lovers will be true to each 

 other at whatever distance they may be apart. Joyful and 

 confident, the young man will walk any distance to meet his 

 sweetheart so long as he wears his token. Schomburgk did not 

 observe the bird nesting. The " Macusis " and the " Arekunas "' 

 call this bird IVaitakuri. 



