40 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XII. 



Porzana Carolina Linnaeus. 



Rio Aurare, i (Jan. 25) ; Merida, 2 (Oct. 28-29) ; Culata, 2 (Nov. 

 2-11). 



Five specimens in Field Museum collected from October to January 

 seem to indicate that the species is a winter resident in the region. 



Porzana albicollis Vieillot. 



Catatumbo River (near Encontrados), i. 



One specimen in Field Museum collected by H. F. Raven. 



Neocrex erythrops Sclater. 



Valle, Rio Mucujon, near Merida, i. 



One specimen in Field Museum purchased from Briceno Gabaldon. 



Gallinula chloropus galeata Lichtenstein. 

 Lagunillas, i ; Rio Aurare, i. 



The name galeata applies to the gallinule of southern Brazil, while 

 the bird from the Cauca Valley, Colombia, said to have a shorter wing, 

 has been separated under the name Gallinula chloropus pauxilla (Bangs, 

 Proc. N. E. Zool. Club, V, p. 96, 1915). On geographic grounds, 

 therefore, our bird might be expected to agree with pauxilla, but as 

 judged by wing measurements alone, such is not the case. Its wing 

 measures 179 mm. in length and even exceeds Brazilian birds for which 

 Bangs gives measurements of two specimens as 172 mm. and 174 mm., 

 respectively. Moreover, a series of eleven specimens in the Field 

 Museum taken at Lake Valencia, Venezuela shows a variation in wing 

 length from 150 mm. to 183 mm., this wide range apparently being 

 due to the fact that many are worn birds with frayed or partly moulted 

 primaries. Our bird is in fresh plumage with perfect flight feathers. 

 We have not seen the type series of pauxilla, nor Brazilian specimens 

 of galeata, but it is evident that whatever may be the case with Colom- 

 bian birds, the Venezuelan specimens above referred to cannot be 

 separated from galeata on the basis of wing length. 



This gallinule was common on the laguna at Lagunillas. Together 

 with lonornis niartinicus, it was found feeding in flocks on the water 

 plants floating on the surface. The birds seemed little afraid of a boat, 

 running off to one side and commencing to feed again as soon as we 

 had passed. 



Local name, Gallineta. 



