Journey throuyh Colombia and Ecuador. 479 



of the Coca River in May and June, but they were then 

 moulting so heavily that they were not worth shooting. 

 They were not common in any locality that we visitec]_, were 

 generally in pairs, and frequented the lower growth about 

 the edges of the forests. Bill leaden horn-colour. Iris 

 grey. 



156. Gymnomystax melanicterus (VieilL). 



A very young male from the Coca, Upper Napo, in June. 

 It was brought to me alive, with one leg and a wing broken. 

 The back is very brown, and still has down hanging to 

 some of the feathers. The primaries and secondaries are 

 yellowish brown on the outer margin. In life the bare skin 

 around the eyes is flesh-colour, and the legs and feet are 

 pinkish grey. Iris pale brown. 



157. Sturnella bellicosa De Fil. 



A male from the vicinity of Chimborazo at an altitude of 

 about 8000 feet, where they seemed fairly numerous. They 

 frequented stony regions, and I observed them turning over 

 the small stones to look for insects underneath. They 

 are common in captivity throughout the towns of Central 

 Ecuador. 



158. Cassidix oryzivora (Linn.). 



A very large series, chiefly from Santo Domingo and 

 San Nicolas, West Ecuador, collected in September and 

 October ; they were not met with at a higher altitude than 

 about 3000 feet. During the first week or two of our stay 

 at Santo Domingo we never saw one of them, then a large 

 influx took place, and many could be observed all day and every 

 day about the clearing, but never within the forest. They 

 frequented the banana-plantations, and we often shot them 

 while they were eating the ripe fruit. We also frequently 

 saw them alone, and in the company of Crotophaga ani, 

 sitting on the backs of the sleeping cattle or on the ground 

 around them. At both Santo Domingo and San Nicolas 

 they were called "Garapateros" (tick-eaters), and Croto- 

 phaga ani was called " Chamom.'^ 



When whistling they expand the thick feathers on the 



