CHERRIE: ORNITHOLOGY OF THE ORINOCO REGION. I37 



parent bird was flushed, was located about 3.5 m. up amid the thick 

 branches of a small tree standing in a thicket on the edge of the 

 savanna. When discovered there was over half an inch of water in 

 the bottom of the nest, the mud that had been used in its construction 

 having been so firmly packed and mixed with the grasses and other 

 nesting materials that after a heavy rain the water escaped through 

 very slowly. 



My observations indicated that the number of eggs in a set varies 

 from two to four ; the latter number is, however, unusual. 



Specimens of the Bare-eyed Thrush from Trinidad, together 

 with one example from the delta region of the Orinoco, are uniformly 

 richer, less greyish olive above than examples from the middle 

 Orinoco, and there appears to be a greater amount of white on the 

 lower breast and abdomen. It seems not improbable that the exam- 

 ination of, a large series would justify the subspecific separation of 

 the two forms. 



Planesticus albiventer (Spix). 



Turdiis albiventer Spix. Av. Bras. I. 1824. p. 70; Berlepsch & Hartert 

 p. 2. 



Specimens were collected on the Orinoco at various points, 

 including Ciudad Bolivar, Altagracia. Caicara. Quiribana de Caicara, 

 Urbana and Maipures, from the delta region at Las Barrancas up- 

 ward, as far as the mouth of the Vichada River. 



In life the eye is vandyke brown; bill mouse grey with yellowish 

 cutting edges ; feet smoke grey. 



Spix's Thrush, like the preceding species, frequents dense thickets 

 and is shy and retiring. In many of its actions this bird resembles 

 the American Robin but is usually conspicuous by its absence about 

 the houses, both in the country and in the villages. The nesting 

 habits and nests are similar to those of 7\ gymnophthahnns. A nest 

 taken at Caicara, June 14, 1904, was found in a dense thicket, in the 

 forks of a small sapling, 1.52 m. from the ground. This nest con- 

 tained three eggs, only one of which was preserved, owing to the 

 advanced state of incubation. This egg is a pale bluish green thickly 

 marked with blotches and spots varying in color from cinnamon- 

 rufous to chestnut overlying pale ecru-drab blotches ; it is ovate in 

 form and measures 20x28 mm. 



