560 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Gassidix oryzivora oryzivora Beebe, Our Search for a Wilderness, 

 p. 394, 1910 ; id.' Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana, p. 137, 

 1917 (Bartica). ■ ■ .• - .^j 



Adult male. General colour on both the upper and under surface 

 black with glossy steel-blue, violet, and oily reflections. 



Total length 340 mm., culmen including frontal shield 36, 

 wing 342, tail 133, tarsus 41, middle toe and claw 39. 



The male described was collected on the Ituribisi River in 

 February 1907. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male but not so glossy, and 

 much smaller in size. 



Total length 253 mm., culmen 29, wing 142, tail 98, tarsus 35, 

 middle toe and claw 34. 



The specimen described was collected on the Abary River in 

 September 1906. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Nest. See C. A. Lloyd, infra. 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Upper Takutu Mountains, Ituribisi 

 River, Abary River [McConnell collection) ; Bartica [Whitely). 



Enetralimital Range. Trinidad, Venezuela, Eastern Brazil. 



Habits'. Schomburgk states (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 683) that he met 

 with this species in large flocks wandering through the planta- 

 tions, where they do a considerable amount of harm in damaging 

 the bananas. He did not observe it nesting. The settlers called 

 it " Ricebird." 



According to Mr. 0. A. Lloyd (Timehri (2) xi. p. 5) this 

 'species deposits its eggs in the nests of the two Mocking-Birds 

 (Cassicus affinis and C. persicus) and imposes upon them the task 

 of rearing its young. I have myself taken the eggs of this bird 

 from the nests of the large " Bunyah,"' Ostinops decumanus, but 

 never could ascertain anything further concerning its history. 



