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



it inhabited the bushes along the river bank. It was rather shy. At 

 Lagunillas a number were seen, and while common they could not be 

 called plentiful. They were seen out on the marsh feeding on the mud 

 flats, and also among the bushes bordering the canal which connects 

 the cienega of Lagunillas with Lake Maracaibo. 

 Local name, Carao. 



Chauna chavaria Linnaeus. 



Encontrados, 4. 



No specimens of this species were preserved, but it was very plen- 

 tiful about the cienega of Lagunillas. Here it could be seen in pairs 

 and flocks of ten or more scattered over the marsh. It was breeding 

 during the first part of May, several nests being found containing 

 from two to seven soiled white eggs. The nests were simply large 

 masses of rushes built up from the water and hidden back in the 

 marsh grass. 



Local name, Chicaguiri. 



Palamedea cornuta Linnaeus. 



This bird was not seen by us, but the natives at Lagunillas spoke 

 of a second species of screamer, which was to be found around the 

 edges of the cienega. A number of specimens are in the Field Museum 

 from the lower Catatumbo River where the species was observed to 

 be very abundant in 1910. 



Local name, Camuco. 



Cairina moschata Linnaeus. 

 Lagunillas, i. 



Seen at Lagunillas and at the mouth of the Rio Guachi. In the 

 former locality it was very plentiful. On the cienega of Lagunillas 

 during the first part of May, the Muscovies appeared to be nesting. 

 Very few females were seen and on one occasion when a hen was 

 killed the drake that accompanied her was very loath to leave. These 

 ducks did not frequent the larger stretches of open water, but spent 

 their time in the small pot holes back in the grass. Their habits in 

 this respect were very similar to those of mallards, and very fine sport 

 was to be obtained by jumping them from the grass. In spite of their 

 large size, they were very adept at sneaking, more than one cripple 

 being lost in the thick grass. 



Native names, Pato, Pato Real. 



I 



