42 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. X. 



Sotalia sp. Beaked Dolphin. 



Small schools of dolphins were repeatedly observed in Lake Mara- 

 caibo from the brackish waters at the northern end to the most south- 

 ern part as well as just within the mouth of the Catatumbo River. In 

 most instances, they seemed to move rather sluggishly, appearing and 

 reappearing at the surface with considerable regularity but without 

 the vigor and dash usually displayed by more northern species. Their 

 color, too, is dull and in muddy water they are rather inconspicuous. 



A standing order for specimens was placed with the Chinese and 

 native fishermen of Maracaibo, but they did not succeed in capturing 

 any until a few weeks after our departure when two full grown individ- 

 uals were secured. Through the interest of U. S. Consul Totten and 

 Sr. Domingo Betancourt Sucre of Maracaibo, the skins of these were 

 shipped in salt to the Museum together with the "beaks" of their 

 skulls, the braincases unfortunately having been chopped away by 

 the fishermen. Owing to the lack of complete skulls and to the con- 

 fused state of knowledge of the genus Sotalia, the true relationships of 

 the Maracaibo dolphins cannot well be determined at present. It is 

 probable, however, that complete skeletons will be obtained later. 

 The teeth in our specimens are slightly more numerous than usual, 

 the formulas being ffirff and |fri. Measurements taken from a 

 roughly stuffed skin with the long bony beak in situ are as follows: 

 Total length 1700 mm.; front of dorsal fin to end of snout 740; front 

 base of pectoral to end of snout 400; basal length of dorsal 240; height 

 of dorsal 120; anterior base to tip of pectoral 260; greatest width of 

 pectoral 113; angle of mouth to end of snout 220; front of eye to angle 

 of mouth 38; total breadth of flukes 425; girth behind pectorals 720. 



Local name Tornina. 



Odocoileus gymnotis Wiegmann. South American White-tailed Deer. 



Six specimens. Empalado Savannas, 30 miles east of Maracaibo, 

 April 8-14, 1911. 



This deer ranges throughout most of the drier parts of the region 

 surrounding Lake Maracaibo, but it is much more abundant in the 

 savannas of Empalado than in any other locality that came under our 

 notice. This is perhaps partly due to the greater number of hunters 

 that pursue all kinds of game for food in the immediate vicinity of the 

 lake. A few tracks were seen near El Panorama and thence eastward, 

 but in the heart of the savannas they were excessively abundant. 

 Here within a few days we obtained a good series of specimens and saw 



