VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 479 



They are typically birds of the dry, sparse, deciduous woods. With- 

 in these woods they roam in loose groups of rather widely scattered 

 individuals. Thus, while the group does apparently exist in reality, 

 all the individuals which compose it are rarely seen at the same time. 

 The main factor in the distribution of these flocks throughout the 

 woods appears to be the existence of patches of the pineapplelike 

 "maya," Bromelia pinguin. Although not restricted to these "may- 

 ales," the birds do show great preference for this habitat. They show 

 no other marked preference, and appear to be quite independent of 

 surface water. 



While shy and difficult to observe, these tinamous are quite inquisi- 

 tive. If the observer remains still, as when waiting for deer, the birds 

 may approach to investigate. Often, the patter of its feet over the 

 leaves is clearly audible, although the bird is most adept at keeping 

 out of sight. It tries to keep under cover or behind fallen logs but, 

 instead of observing in a crouched position, it stands on "tiptoe" with 

 its neck stretched upwards as straight as possible, often moving its head 

 from side to side. The difference between the captive C. noctivagus 

 erythropus and the C. soui andrei was striking. Upon being frightened, 

 as at the approach of a dog, both would crouch, but shortly thereafter 

 the noctivagus would stand, raise its head until the neck actually 

 appeared to stretch, and, still unsatisfied, would move to get a better 

 view. When the cause for alarm had left and the noctivagus had 

 long since returned to its eating or preening, the soui was often still 

 quietly crouched. 



The 6-egg clutch of erythropus must be close to the maximum 

 number of eggs, if one may judge by the size of the covering bird's 

 breast. These eggs are pale ecru drab with a slight gloss, and are 

 markedly different from the very light bluish white spencei egg re- 

 ported by us in 1950 (T. idoneus= spencei). It may be recaUed that 

 the latter was laid by a bird in badly injured condition. It now 

 appears that the pathological state of that bird may have been re- 

 flected in the lack of further pigmentation in its egg; recently another 

 hen spencei was taken with a fully shelled egg in its oviduct. The 

 latter was smashed by the shot, but the pieces of the shell are even 

 more highly colored than the eggs of erythropus, not less so as in the 

 case of the lone egg previously recorded. They match very closely 

 the hydrangea pink of Ridgway's color nomenclature. 



The gizzard contents of five specimens of C. n. spencei consisted of 

 109 seeds of three sizes, 5 berries, 25 snails of two sizes, 37 lepidopteran 

 chrysalids, 2 caterpillars, 11 beetles, 1 hymenopteran, 1 insect egg, 2 

 unidentified insect remains, and some small stones. A specimen of 

 C. n. erythropus had in its gizzard 24 seeds (including a very large one 

 19 by 19 by 6 mm.), 1 cicada, and 1 beetle. 



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