GAME BIRDS FROM NORTHWESTERN VENEZUELA 



BY WILFRED H. OSGOOD AND BOAIIDMAN CONOVER 



In the spring of 1920, the authors made a somewhat hurried trip to 

 northwestern Venezuela making general collections of birds and mam- 

 mals. Particular attention was given to game birds, especially by the 

 junior author, and, although the collection is not a large one, it has 

 seemed desirable to make report upon it. The groups included as game 

 birds are the ducks, rails, shorebirds, gallinaceous birds, tinamous and 

 pigeons. Specimens collected in 19 10 by the senior author also have been 

 listed, as well as certain others from the same region all contained in 

 the collections of the Field Museum of Natural History. 



Landing at Maracaibo on Feb. 8, we had one day's collecting near 

 Altagracia, on the east side of the lake and nearly opposite the city 

 of Maracaibo, and then proceeded south along the lake shore about 60 

 miles to a point called Iguana. Thence we went inland for about 40 

 miles directly west to the foot of the Sierra Perija. In this region we 

 collected from two bases, the first at the camp of the Caribbsean Oil Co. 

 called La Luna and the second some eight or ten miles farther south 

 at the point where the Rio Cogollo emerges from the mountains. Re- 

 turning to Maracaibo, we then went by steamer to La Ceiba at the south 

 end of the lake, whence a short railroad took us to Motatan and an 

 automobile stage to Valera. After a few days collecting in the vicinity 

 of Valera, three long days with saddle and pack mules brought us to 

 Merida. From this base excursions were made to several localities in 

 the surrounding mountains, following which return to Lake Maracaibo 

 was made over a trail leading through Ejido, Jaji, and La Azulita to 

 Santa Elena on the lower Rio Guachi which was descended with canoes 

 to the mouth, where a small sailboat was secured for the return to 

 Maracaibo. Later, a few days were spent at the village of Lagunillas 

 on the east side of the lake some 50 miles from the city of Maracaibo. 



The climatic and physical features of the region surrounding Lake 

 Maracaibo are of extreme interest and it would be difikult to find a 

 locality where so many varying conditions can be encountered in such 

 close juxtaposition. Deserts, savannas, semi-arid forests, heavy humid 

 forests, littoral swamps and estuaries, subtropical forests, temperate 

 forests, and cold, treeless paramos all are accessible within a radius of 

 one hundred miles. Intelligent study of the distribution and relation- 

 ships of the animal life of this complicated region is practically im- 



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