THE OOLOGIST. 



31 



transact business matters pertaining to 

 the society and have a good time in 

 general. It siiould last from three to 

 six days and at least one of these 

 should be taken up by papers, talks, 

 readings and discussions of matters 

 pertaining to the work and to the man- 

 agement of the society. This would re- 

 sult in a revival of friendships and a 

 stirring up of those who are inclined to 

 "collect" instead of doing the actual 

 work. 



Last month I wrote to some of the in- 

 fluential men of ornithology in the 

 state of Illinois asking their assistance 

 in my attempt to organize a society on 

 these principles in the state of Illinois. 

 At the time of this writing I have not 

 heard from all but feel that none will 

 decline to help unless business or other 

 circumstances irilerfere. 



I believe that if there were more so- 

 cieties in existence there more persons 

 would become interested in the work 

 and as the amateur of today will some- 

 time have to till the place of the pres- 

 ent advanced scientist it will be well 

 to encourage them in the work and the 

 access they have to the benefits of a 

 good society, the more competent will 

 they oe and the more worthy of tilling 

 your places in the future. 



Ci>YDE L. Smith, 

 Oblong, Ills. 



From Venezuela. 



Editor Oologist: 



Perhaps a few more general notes 

 on the birds of South America, that is, 

 some of the birds of the Orinoco Delta, 

 will prove of interest to your readers. 



Santa Catilena is about thirty miles 

 up the river from Sacupana, from 

 which latter point I last wrote the 

 Oologist, and is opposite the island of 

 Tortola, the largest island in the Orin- 

 oco Grande. Tortola means Turtle 

 Dove. Our first camp was on Paloma 

 Jsland and Paloma in Spanish signifies 



Dove. This would convey the impres- 

 sion that Doves must be very common 

 here else there would not be two Dove 

 islands and it is a fact that Doves ai'e 

 very common along the lower Orinoco. 

 The voices of these mournful singers 

 can be heard at all hours of the day, 

 especially in the early morning and 

 late afternoon. While they commonly 

 frequent the woods along the water 

 courses,yetI have heard them call from 

 out the deep forest, where a ray of sun- 

 light rarely reaches the earth so heavy 

 with foliage are the tops of the tall 

 trees. 



In the same deep solitude, but far 

 back from the river, dwells the bell- 

 voiced Campinero or Bell-bird, aSjwrit- 

 ers on British Guiana have called it. 

 The lone traveler in the Imatocas is 

 often bewildered on hearing the clear 

 notes of a bell ring out seemingly near 

 at hand. His search for the source of 

 the music is seldom I'ewarded by a 

 sight of the bird for this sweet-voiced 

 dweller of the wilderness seems to pre- 

 fer to remain hidden from the sight of 

 man. 



In these great dark forests all animal 

 life is above in the tree tops. I say all, 

 but now and then a bat flits by or a 

 huge moth is disturbed as one walks in 

 the perpetual dusk, as of evening, of 

 these dense woods. Up above can be 

 heard the whistle of the Trogan or the 

 shrill cry of the Flycatcher, the bark of 

 monkeys and a branch may sway out 

 with the weight of some huge snake 

 trailing its sinuous course through the 

 tree tops. But these do not come 

 down to the ground only in places 

 where the sunlight penetrates to the 

 earth. 



The Swallow-tailed Kite, an acquain- 

 tance of the North is common here. 

 They can be seen high overhead per- 

 forming their graceful aerial gyrations 

 as many as ten or twelve together. 

 Here, too, the Groove-billed Ani and 

 Savanna Blackbix'd is found, and 



