OSTINOPS. 551 



occasionally be seen suspended from the ends of the branches of 

 high trees, often the coco-nut and cabbage palms. These are the 

 nests of the Bunyah {Ostinops decximanvs). They are made of 

 dry grass and coco-nut fibre, interwoven v\ith dry sticks, and are 

 about five feet long. A quantity of dry leaves are placed at the 

 bottom of the nest, in which the eggs are completely hidden. The 

 entrance is a small hole near the top. The ^g^s, two in number, 

 are white, thickly streaked and blotched with pink." 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehri (2) v. p. 85), who observed this 

 species in Georgetown, remarks : — " At the back of the Botanic 

 (jrardens, along the Lamaha Canal, on the outskirts of the town, 

 the black Bunyah {Ostinoj^s decumanus) will occasionally be met 

 with. It may be taken as a typical member of the Hangnests or 

 Icterine family, its nest being several feet in length and purse- 

 shaped, suspended from the ends of branches, generally near, or 

 over water. There are more than 100 members of this group of 

 birds and all confined to America, w'here they take the place of 

 the starlings. They are known by various names, such as 

 Cassiques, Hangnests, Troupials, Orioles, etc., and many of them 

 are gifted w'ith great powers of song, while others are imitative 

 to a remarkable degree, such as the common Mocking-bird of 

 Guiana (Cassicus persicus)^ which does not occur within the 

 immediate neighbourliood of the city.^' 



Mr. C. A. Lloyd (Timehri (2) xi, p. 5), Avriting on the Nesting 

 of some Guiana Birds, remnrks : — ''The mosquito worm also 

 attacks the young of the Red and Yellow-backed Mocking Birds 

 {('asslcus a^uis and C. persicus). Mr. Barshall informs me that 

 these birds are frequently made the victims of another member of 

 their family, Cassidix oryzivora, which deposi's its eggs in their 

 nests, and imposes upon them the task of rearing it's young, I 

 liave myself taken the eggs of this bird from the nests of the 

 large Black "Bunyah" [Ostinops decumanus), but never could 

 ascertain anything further concerning their history. 



'• Most of our Cassiques resort to trees already' occupied l)y 

 colonies of wasps for the purpose of l)uilding their nests. I sup- 

 pose this is for protective purposes, but then, why have not all of 

 our birds developed the snme iiabit? A marauding monkey or 

 snake would 1)0 just as likely to attack and rob the nest of u 

 pigeon or doNe as it woulil that of a Clasaique." 



