136 TlMEHRI. 
food — attempts being made, in my experience, by indi- 
vidual boatmen to obtain them, even when there was an 
abundance of other fresh meat available. 
Another very common species is the swallow-tailed or 
scissor-tailed hawk or kite (Elanoides furcatus). These 
birds are more commonly met with in the forest districts 
generally, especially on the more elevated parts, than on 
the coast. Along the main creeks and rivers, especially 
on the great reefs and ridges, they are almost always to be 
seen, either singly or in groups of as many as 12 or 
more, circling round and round with most exquisitely 
graceful motion, swooping down suddenly, and then 
again rising upwards in wide sweeps, with arched wings 
and tail. The species will readily be recognised. It is 
about 20 or more inches in length, with long pointed 
narrow wings and elongated forked tail ; of a pure 
gleaming white on the head, neck, shoulders, rump and 
entire under parts, the other parts being of a bright 
glossy green-black. 
It is a well-known characteristic of these birds, that, 
if one of a flight be shot, the others will circle round and 
round the place where it has fallen, uttering their plain- 
tive but shrill shrieks, — at times almost swooping down 
upon the body as though to remove it, when it is an easy 
matter to procure series of specimens, and possibly the 
whole flight. The species has a very wide range extend- 
ing to the Central States of North America and to the 
southern parts of Brazil ; while accidental, and appa- 
rently tempest-tossed, specimens have been met with in 
Europe. 
The food of these birds, here, seems to consist almost 
entirely of insects and seeds. The winged females of 
