﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 455 



naturalium Brasiliae libri octo, 1648, p. 204; "in America australi"; type 

 from Cayenne). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1, unsexed, Cantaura, July 10, 1948; iris light brown, feet very dark brown, bill 

 dull yellow shading to dark brown at tip; gizzard contained a large snail, which 

 before being eaten had been extracted from its shell, which may have been approx- 

 imately 3 inches long; an adult specimen in good plumage with a pronounced 

 from bronze (in some lights slightly purplish) gloss on dorsal feathers. 



The limpkin was relatively common locally tliroughout the wooded 

 areas, wherever there was a small amount of surface water. Although 

 a shy bird, it could often be seen in the daytime quietly perched in 

 the top of a tall tree. At night, the loud kra-ow (or, in Spanish, 

 "carrao"), which could be heard for at least a mile, revealed the pres- 

 ence of the bird. It was definitely recorded in the collector's field 

 notes only during May, July, and September. However, he believes 

 that the limpkin is a permanent resident in the area and that it was 

 only through oversight (the bird was not often seen in the course of 

 the regular field work) that the sight records were not jotted down in 

 the notebook. 



Local name, "carrao," in imitation of the call note. 



Family RALLIDAE: Rails, Coots, Gallinules 



ARAMIDES CAJANEA CAJANEA (P. L. S. Muller) 



Fulica cajanea P. L. S. Muller, Natursystem, Suppl., 1776, p. 119 (Cayenne, ex 

 Daubenton, Planches enlumin^es, pi. 352). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9 1 Cantaura, March 19, 1948; gonads enlarged; iris, eye ring, and feet bright 

 red, bill light green shading to dull yellow at base; remiges with signs of active 

 molt; rectrices very abraded, with no signs of molt. 



The wood rail was common locally along streams in the deciduous 

 seasonal woods and the lowland seasonal woods, often encountered 

 in bands of 10 to 12 individuals. Although a shy bird, it was not 

 especially wary and could be approached at times with relative ease. 

 It was recorded in the months of February through May and in 

 November. 



The ovary of the March female was enlarged, but the gonads of 

 two males examined early in April were not enlarged. 



Local name, "coitara," variant pronounciation of "cotara." 



NEOCREX EKYTHROPS OUVASCENS Chubb 



Neocrex erythrops olivascens Chubb, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 38, 1917, p. 33 

 (Venezuela) . 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 c?, Caicara, August 8, 1948; gonads slightly enlarged; iris dull red, feet coral 

 red, bill yellow-green with the basal half bright red. 



