18?5. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEVM. 683 



over and have two opening's. 1 fouiid several nests with eggs; one 

 contained eight IVesh eggs, most of which wore white, but some faintly- 

 spotted with reddish brown. 



III. BIUD8 ORSKKVKl) Al' LAOl'AYRA, VENEZUELA. 



I spent altogether ten days at Laguayia, June 20 to 27 and .Inly 2:3 

 to 20, but finding the birds in very i)(K)r phiniage, I obtained only some 

 thirty skins and conlined myself to insects. 



The lofty mountains in rear of Lagnayra (lescen<l ])r('cipitately into 

 the sea, having at their feet a narrow strip of fairly level ground, in 

 some places barely 100 yards wide. The lower portions of these moun- 

 tains are scantily clad with a growth of scrubby thorn trees and cactus, 

 but near their summits, where the needed moisture is furnished by the 

 condensation of clouds, there are heavy forests. Such is the steepness 

 of the mountain slopes that these forests are practically inaccessible. 

 However, at a few spots streams And their way down to the sea, and 

 by ascending the ravines which serve as their beds, one can penetrate 

 to some distance from the coast. Such a stream is found three-quarters 

 of a mile east of the town, and in my daily excursions I usually followed 

 up its course for probably a couple of miles, where progress was stopped 

 by almost perpendicular slopes. The ravine was well wooded ai:d bird 

 life was abundant, as it was also around the edges of the fields on the 

 flat coast strip. High up in this ravine I caught a small light-coloied 

 crab (P>ieu(Iothelphus<i), which lived in burrows among the roots of 

 trees, and which has proved to be a new species. 1 also got a number of 

 lizards and snakes here, and found butterflies in great abundance, 

 especially the Heliconias, CalUdryas, and Ithomia.s. This was the oidy 

 spot where I found 3iorp]ios and C((Ui<joe.s, but they were all badly tat- 

 tered and worn. 



The number of birds that 1 identified is but small in proportion to 

 those that I observed. The following is therefore a very imperfect list 

 of the birds of the vicinity of Laguayra: 



Abundant. 

 Abundant. 

 Abundant. 

 A pair seen. 

 Manv seen. 



1. STERNA, sp. 



2. PELECANUS FUSCUS, Linnaeus. 



3. FREGATA AQUILA (Linnaeus). 



4. EUPSYCHORTYX. sp. 



5. LEPTOTILA, sp. 



6. COLUMBIGALLINA PASSERINA (Linnaeus). 



Abundant. 



CATHARTES AURA i Linnaus). 



Abundant. 



