ARUNDINICOLA. — COPUEUS. 141 



bird has owing to the white head and black body plumage, been 

 christened " The Parson " by the settlers. Its favourite haunts 

 are the banks of the ditches and bogs near the coast. It is usnally 

 seen sitting on a branch overhanging the water, or on the protrud- 

 ing twig of a tree which has fallen into the water, where it darts 

 off in pursuit of insects tlying past. Its nest is built of grass- 

 stems and plant-cotton, lined with feathers and usually found 

 near a ditch. The eggs are one or two in number and white in 

 colour. The female is different in colour to the male, and the 

 young male is like the female. 



Beebe (Our Search for a Wilderness, p. 65) remarks that the 

 " White-headed Marsh Flycatchers perching in the reeds and 

 making fierce sallies after passing insects." 



Mr. H. Lloyd Price (Timehri (2) v. p. 64) remarks:— "A 

 small black bird with a white head will frequently be observed 

 among the grass-birds ; this is not inappropriately called the 

 Parson Bird {Arundinicola leucocephala)." 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehri (2) v. pp. 91, 92), who observed this 

 species in (Georgetown, remarks : — " In similar places to the 

 preceding (Fluvicola pica) on the outskirts of the town will be 

 found another Small Tyrant, somewhat smaller than the Cotton- 

 bird and known as the Parson-bird (Arundinicola leucocephala). 

 These birds like the foregoing, frequent the neighbourhood of 

 water, perching on the small twigs and stems, but chiefly on the 

 reeds and reed-like growths. Almost invariably they will be 

 seen in pairs, darting from bush to brush in search of insects. 

 The common name is evidently taken from the resemblance of its 

 colours to those of a parson and his gown." 



Genus COLONIA Gray. 



Colonia J. E. Gray in Griffith & Pidgeon's ed. Cuv. Anim. Kingd. vi. 

 (Class Aves, l") p. 336, 1829. Type C. colonus (Vieill.). 



This genus is distinguished by the elongation of the two 

 middle tail-feathers and long outer primary-quill. Coloration : 

 male and female similar. 



