550 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



collection, and the sjtecimen <le«eri]>etl al)Ove is in the British 

 Museum, collected by Henry Whitoly at Bartica on October 3, 

 1879, ISalvin-Godnian collection. 



Breeding-season. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Nest. " Suspended from the ends of the branches of high trees, 

 often the coco-nut and cabbage palms. They are made of dry 

 glass and coco-nut fibre, interwoven with dry sticks and are 

 alioiit Hv(^ feet long. The entrance is a small hole near the top^' 

 {Llniid rrire). 



Kygs. " Two in nun)ber, white, thickly streaked and blotched 

 with jtink'^ {Lloi/d I'rire). 



liaiiye in British Guiana. Itnribisi River (McConnell col led ion) ; 

 Bartica ( W7<i7^/^) ; Great Falls Demerara River, Georgetown 

 (QnelcJi). 



K.rtralimital Ran;/e. South America, from Tobago, Trinidad, 

 Colombia to liolivia, Paraguay, and fSouth Brazil — extending to 

 Panama in Central America. 



Ilahits. Regarding the habits of this bird Schomburgk writes 

 (Reis. Guian. i. p. 187): — "liowing up stream on the Barima 

 River, we saw the long pur.se-shaped nests of Cassirus cristatns in 

 large numbers hanging from the branches of an enormous tree on 

 the bank of the river ; I counted about three hundred. It is 

 curious that these birds coniireoate in the breedinii-season, and 

 still more curious that they select the same trees and same 

 branches on which \esj>a iddidans and V. morio had already built 

 their nests, and these three form a Guild against which none of 

 their numerous enemies — such as monkevs and ti^or-cats — dare 

 to enter for the purpose of raiding eggs and young. But all life 

 and merriment ceased when the report of our guns frightened tho 

 harmless inhabitants to such a degree that all the adult birds flew 

 otland remained a.\ay for some considerable time." 



According to Schomburgk (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 680) this species 

 is disiriltuted throughout British Guiana. It is always found in 

 large flocks even during the breeding-season. He had counted as 

 many as three to four hundred in one tree. The Indians use the 

 yellow tail-feathers of these birds as ti special ornament, and the 

 birds are persecuted everywhere on that account. The bird 

 possesses a very peculiar scent. The Indians call it Konuli. 



The following note is copied from Mr. H. Lloyd Price (Timehri 

 (2) V. p. 02): — "Similar nests to those of the Plantain-bird will 



