males, and tlie latter the femaldS'df the fame Fpecies : 'they
in<fb®d whittled a variety'of notes, but'«either "had; that
melody or imitatidh of other fongftefs) which isfe1 gerie~
rally afcribed to the mock-bird, and whieh; befides, I never
heard mentioned in Surinam. Thefe birds had their hefts
(above threefcorein number) fixed to the extremity• of
the branches* where thfey werej dangling *in • th#W&dy
fefemblrhg e^^%elS%uffedwith Hay5! bf- whiih,; ihdeedy
they were built; and about the thiddleiof tnem:tKerd Wa$
a fmatt hole* at whiebthb'birds enter and gb out* ’T*lf#
bottom is built wide* arid. perfectly round ; there they lay
their eggs, and hatch their young-ones," while tile fpiral
roof prote<fts them from birds of prey, arid frhm/fche
weather. But what is of mote confeguenee, thernohkeys;
which are fo numerous in this 'country; fesppj by - Inch a
fituation, prevented from deftroymg them, fitace the
branches or twigs from which they- depend, thdugfr
flrong enough to fupport the raeffe; and what'is in them)
are too weak to bear the load of mbije: weighty invaders" £
and, for greater feeurity# 1 may add, they are ’ moftly
built depending over XLV.);
The other bird which I fhot in returning home, was the
Surinam falcon or hawk. Itsfize?and ftiape was like thofe
of the fame fpecies in England: its colour light broWn,
variegated on the breaft and tail with fpecks of red;
black, and yellow; its tongue was cloven, its eyes remarkably
bright, its legs a citron colour) and its talons armbd
with long and Iharp-pointed claws. This bird is exceedingly
.deftru&iye to the plantations, committing great
ravages amongft the poultry, 8tc.
But I muftonce more -return to the operations of our
commander in chief, who having refted a few days at
-Magdenberg, tj again marched, on Ghriftmas-day, with,
the, remaining, handful, of ^his men, to the Jew Savannah;
-.whence he returned (having feen nothing),, back
to Magxlejnberg, with the new title of being himfelf
the w a te rin g Jew, This did not prevent me and
Major ^Medlar from renewing/our. felicitations to accompany
shini in ’ hisT expeditions;' «büt We Were ftill prevented
by.h is'going to town, where about this,time a
frefh fupplyypf troops was hourly! expected to arrive from
'Europe. A t laft,' however,, -h© ’gave me leave to follow
him, with:feme othérföffifeers who were actually in want,
;at.a time'when fifteen hogfheads o f fine claret, and fifteen
thóufand florins in Specie, were waiting'his -’commands
a t Paramaribo. I