240 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



The fish which are caught on our coast are far from being 

 dehcate, as the water is very muddy for thirteen or fourteen 

 leagues from the shore. 



I shall next endeavour to give an idea Of the birds which 

 are natural here, and which are most worthy our attention. 



The sun bird is not unlike the partridge of England, but a 

 little larger ; when procured tame they are kept in houses to 

 destroy the ants, with which this land abounds. 



The Surinam falcon is about the size of a hawk ; the head 



and upper part of the body is covered with feathers of a light 



brown, the under part has feathers spotted with yellow and 

 brown ; the feathers of the tail are like those of the under part 



of the body, and the legs are yellow; the beak is crooked, 



and at the root is a substance, in appearance, like wax ; the 



tongue is cloven. This bird can inflate his head to nearly the 



size of his body ; he commits great depredations on the 



poultry of the plantations. 



The strix or owl, is about the size of a thrush ; it is covered 

 with feathers of a light straw colour, shaded with white; the 

 feathers of the breast are light straw, coloured spots upon a 

 white ground ; its legs are short and its claws black ; its beak 



