A Collecting Trip on the Abary. 363 
white and blue gauldings, and white cranes (Ardea, sp.), 
the common and the beautiful longtailed old-witches 
(Crotophaga sp.,/, kingfishers (Ceryle sp,/, kiskadies or 
" Qu'est-ce-qu'il-dits" (various species of Pitangus, 
Megarhynchus, Myiozetetes and Tyrannus), red-headed 
carrion crows (Catharista aura), pigeons (Columba 
rufina), hawks (species of Milvago, Rosthramus, Hypo- 
triorchis, Urubitinga, Buteogallus and Harfiagus, etc.) 
and a few other species of shrikes and icterids, were 
plentiful; but, with the exception of the commoner and 
smaller kinds, they were extremely shy and difficult to 
procure. 
At intervals, the pigeons and quaaks rose from the 
thick clumps of the water-wallaba or tall mucco-mucco 
in great flocks, the latter, especially, rising to great 
heights and circling backwards and forwards out of range, 
with their incessant cry of " quaak." Dense flights of 
" blackbreasts" or golden plovers, (Charadrius virgini- 
cus) occasionally camedown thecreek orsettled in patches 
by the waterside. Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) and 
vicissi ducks (Dendrocygna and Chenalopex sp.) at times 
whirred from the low bush, but seldom giving the chance 
of a shot ; while along the waterside where the grassy 
reaches occur, the small sandpiper or wagtail (Tringoides 
macularius) and the lovely spur-wings (Parra jacana) 
ran backwards and forwards as though undecided what 
was best to do. 
It was somewhat of a surprise to me to find the Canje 
pheasant or hoatzin (Opisthocomus cristatus), locally 
called " hanna," along the creek, and apparently as 
plentiful here as they are in the Berbice River and the 
Canje Creek. The explanation of their presence is most 
zz 
