550 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



describes at full length, and illustrates by a series of photo- 

 graphic figures. He concludes his article with a useful list 

 of authorities, amongst which will be found the names of 

 Huxley, Parker, and Garrod. The exact distribution of this 

 reptilian Bird (as it has been appropriately termed), so far 

 as it is known, is clearly shown in a map (p. 49). 



52. Beebe's Ornithological Reconnaissance in Venezuela. 



[An Ornithological Reconnaissance of North-eastern Venezuela. By 

 C. William Beehe. Zoologica, vol. i. No. 3. New York, 1909.] 



In February 1908 Mr. and Mrs. Beebe left New York for 

 Trinidad, and proceeded thence across the Gulf of Paria to 

 the opposite coast of Venezuela. Here they disembarked 

 at Guanco, the shipping port for the products of the groat 

 pitch-lake of La Brea. Mr. Beebe describes the large 

 mangrove-forest which borders the Venezuelan coast and 

 the peculiar characters of its flora and fauna, and gives us 

 a corresponding account of the upland forest and the 

 country round the pitch-lake. After twenty days of diligent 

 collecting in these two districts, Mr. and Mrs. Beebe re- 

 turned to New York with their spoils. 



The classified list of the birds observed on this occasion 

 contains for the most part the names of well-known species, 

 and on many of them interesting field-notes are given. The 

 great Tinamou (Tinamus tao) was detected breeding and 

 its shining blue eggs were obtained. The nest of an Amazon 

 Parrot was discovered. The remarkable calls of Nyctibius 

 jamaicensis and Taper a (scr. Dipt opt erus) navia were noted. 

 The tunnel-nest formed by a Jacamar (Galbula ruficauda) 

 was explored and its eggs taken. The curious companionship 

 of the colonies of the Yellow-backed Cassique {Cacicus 

 persicus) with venomous wasps is described at full length. 

 Similar instances of the " communal guardianship " are well 

 known, but the subject is one of intense interest. 



During their short stay of twenty days in the mangrove- 

 swamps and coastal forest 138 species of birds were identified, 

 and of these 22 were found breeding. This was not bad 

 work in a tropical country. 



