556 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



a Woodpecker give an unusually loud eall^as it sometimes does — 

 this bird follows with a similar sound at once. The bleating 

 of she&p is imitated equally well. - But should there be a 

 cessation of noises among the birds and mammals then this bird 

 starts his own song again — until perchance a duck on some neigh- 

 bouring water sounds forth its well-known quack quack, which is 

 also echoed from the tree in which the Yellow-backed Cacique 

 {Cassicus persicus) was sitting much to every one's surprise. 

 During all these performances the bird turns and twists its head 

 and body into the most comical attitudes that one cannot. keep 

 from laughing. 



Cassicus persicus and C. hcBmorrhous breed nearly always in the 

 same tree- and are very friendly to each other. The imitating 

 habits appear to cease with the latter as soon as the breeding- 

 season is over. The two species separate into flocks when the 

 nesting period is at an end. 



Sjshomburgk states (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 681) that this species is 

 gregarious during .the breeding-season, which is April and May. 

 The " Warraus " call it Komiana and the " Maousis " Taurupia. 



The following note is quoted from Mr. Barrington Brown (Canoe 

 and Camp Life, p. 354):- — "The Yellow-backed Mocking-bird. 

 Around and almost touching the habitation of the wasps are the 

 long hanging nests of these birds, in and out of which, during the 

 breeding-season, their owners go with impunity. The wasps, by 

 their presence, no doubt, protect the young and eggs of the bird 

 from the attacks of monkeys, but what sjervioe the bird is to the 

 insect is not so easily understood. ■ - 



" It seems strsinge that the wasps shduld tolerate the presence 

 of such busy, noisy, chattering neighbours." 



Mr. Quelch (Timehri (2) ii. p, 375), writing on birds from the 

 Albany 'E,iver, remarks: — "Early next morning we left the 

 Tanraculi district, obtaining on the way two Lapwings at the 

 •same, swamp where we had procured thfe on-e two days before> 

 besides a very fine specimen of the Yellow-backed Mocking-bird 

 (^Cassicus persicus)." 



Mr. Lloyd Price. (Timehri (2) v. p. 62), writing on the Nests and 

 'Eggs of some Guiana Birds, remarks : — "The Black and yellow 

 so-called Mocking-Bird {Cassicus .persicus) -a.ho builds a nest of 

 tlie same shape and materials, .but considerably shorter. It is 



