498 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. i04 



to the collector that the call notes of the Caicara birds were lower in 

 pitch than those of the Cantaura area. However, the Caicara 

 specimen diiffers neither in size nor in coloration from the Cantam*a 

 bird. 



Family Cuculidae: Cuckoos 



Coccyzus melacoryphus Vieillot 



Coccyzus melacoryphus Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 8, 1817, p. 271 

 (Paraguay). 

 1 immature 9 , Cantaura, August 21, 1949; gonads small; iris dark; bill black; 

 feet duU blue-gray; gizzard contained large grasshoppers and caterpillars; bird 

 in very worn plumage. 



This cuckoo was generally seen in two's and three's, and invariably 

 its habitat was the edge of the deciduous seasonal woods. One rainy 

 afternoon a pair were heard uttering a call somewhat similar to that 

 of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) but not as loud, 

 and perhaps more rapid. The call may be written ca-ca-ca-ca-ca- 

 cow-cow-cow. 



Piaya cayana mehleri Bonaparte 



Piaya mehleri Bonaparte, Conspectus generum avium, vol. 1, 1850, p. 110 (Santa 

 F6 de Bogotd; emended to Cartagena by Todd, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 

 vol. 60, 1947, p. 59). 



Recorded in our earlier (1950) paper as P. c. columhianus, which 

 name is now considered a synonym of mehleri. On April 17 an in- 

 cubating bird was seen on a well-built nest of coarse twigs, placed 

 about 15 feet up in a small tree. It was not possible to climb without 

 dislodging the nest so the size of the clutch was not determined. 



Crotophaga major Gnielin 



Crotophaga major Gmelin, Systema naturae, vol. 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 363 (Cayenne). 



In addition to an aspirate hiss and a low chucking note recorded in 

 our earlier (1950) paper, the greater ani utters a long series of bubbling 

 calls, which reminded the collector of a heron rookery or a group of 

 frogs. Perhaps this bubbling, "boiling" call is the reason for the local 

 name of "hervidor" (hervir — to boil) given by Phelps (1944, p. 290). 



Crotophaga sulcirostris sulcirostris Swainson 



Crotophaga sulcirostris Swainson, Philos. Mag. (new ser.), vol. 1, 1827, p. 440. 

 (Temascal tepee, M6xico) . 



Additional observations on this bird are as follows: The groove- 

 billed anis had a nest about 15 feet up in a dense mango tree, which 

 was used off and on throughout the months of August through October. 

 The nest was of twigs, lined with fresh green leaves which the birds 

 brought in even while the nest contained eggs. The eggs were always 

 destroyed prior to hatching, probably by the southern mockingbird 



