VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRTEDMANN AND SMITH 485 



The immature example collected was evidently very hungry; it 

 attempted time after time to capture a Cayenne lapwing {Belonopterus 

 chilensis) out of a flock of these birds. They were obviously too large 

 for the harrier and it was quite unsuccessful. In his turn, the collector 

 followed the harrier over a large expanse of savanna, with equal lack 

 of success. Finally, in desperation, crouching behind a bush as near 

 as he dared approach the bird, he tossed out, one after another, his 

 three white handkerchiefs. At the third handkerchief, the harrier 

 flew in at top speed to investigate and was taken. The hawk is rare 

 in the area, but occasional singles are seen, always on the open savanna. 



Geranospiza caeridescens (Vieillot) 



Sparvius caerulescens Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 10, 1817, p. 318 (South 

 America; Cayenne, designated as t3'pe locality by Berlepsch and Hartert, 

 Nov. Zool., vol. 9, 1902, p. 114). 



Some observations, additional to those in our earlier report, are here 

 added to the recorded data on this crane hawk. 



The common call note of this crane hawk is a typical sound of the 

 sparse woods at late evening and early morning, but it is so different 

 from the calls expected of a hawk that for years the collector never 

 suspected this bird was its author. The call, a loud hollow how uttered 

 singly and repeated at perhaps one or two minute intervals, carries for 

 a long distance but is rather hard to place. When thus calling, the bird 

 is usually quietly perched near the trunk in a well foliaged tree. To 

 locate it in the poor light of the late evening, before the approach of 

 the observer causes it to cease calling, is an extremely difficult task. 

 This hawk also utters a Buteo-like shreeuu call, quite similar to that of 

 Buteo magnirosfris and B. nitida. 



On January 11, 1952, at Caicara, one was observed in what might be 

 considered a display. It flapped and soared in rather tight circles. 

 After several circles, the bird would climb abruptly and immediately 

 thereafter drop sharply, describing an inverted V rather like the court- 

 ship display of the marsh hawk Circus cyaneus. 



Family Pandionidae: Ospreys 



Pandion lialiaetus carolinensis (Gmclin) 



Falco carolinensis Gmelin, Systema naturae, vol. 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 263 (no locality 

 given = Carolina, ex references). 



Because of the unusual interest attached to the observations and 

 because of the collector's long familiarity with this bird in life in 

 eastern North America, we depart from our usual custom and include 

 this hawk even though as yet no actual specimens have been collected 

 in the study area. The allocation of these observations to the sub- 

 species carolinensis is only inferential. 



