﻿464 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loo 



latter half of October, generally as singles and never more than five 

 birds in a flock. 



Local name, "tingiiin." 



EROUA MELANOTOS (Vieillot) 



Tringa melanotos Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 34, 1819, p. 462 (Para- 

 guay, ex Azara, No. 401) . 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9 , Cantaura, October 5, 1947; gonads small; iris dark brown. This specimen, 

 unlike so many of the other migrant shorebirds collected, is in fresh plumage. 



The pectoral sandpiper is a common migrant in Venezuela, where 

 numbers of specimens have been recorded by different collectors. 



The pectoral sandpiper was common at the savanna ponds within 

 the study area. It was recorded during September, October, and 

 November, generally in small flocks of about a dozen individuals. 



Local name, "tingiiin." 



Family BURHINIDAE: Thick-knees 



BURfflNUS BISTRIATUS VOCIFER (L'Herminler) 



Aedicnemus vocifer L'Herminier, Mag. Zool., vol. 7, cl. 2, 1837, pi. 84 ("Llanos 

 de Maturin, petite ville situ^e sur les bords du Guarapiche et dependante 

 de la province de Cumana" = Maturin, state of Monagas, northeastern 

 Venezuela) . 



specimen collected 



1 c?, Cantaura, September 10, 1947; gonads small; iris bright yellow, feet dull 

 yellow-green, bill black with base of mandible buflf; gizzard contained insects 

 and seeds; plumage fairly abraded. 



This species was exclusively a bird of the savanna, where it was 

 recorded throughout the year. It was characteristically encountered 

 in trios; perhaps as many as 25 might be seen in a day. The bird was 

 rather nocturnal, as the relatively large eyes would suggest. 



The call, often uttered at night or when the bird flushed, was a 

 rather loud whinny, accented on the first syllable. The local name, 

 "iienguere," is a rather unsuccessful imitation of this call. 



Family COLUMBIDAE: Pigeons, Doves 



COLUMBA CORENSIS Jacquin 



Colu7nba (corensis) Jacquin, Beytrage zur Geschichte der Vogel, 1784, p. 31 

 (Coro, Venezuela). 



specimen collected 



1 cf, Cantaura, May 25, 1946; gonads enlarged; iris light brown, bill pink, 

 eye ring gray, tarsi and toes red; plumage fresh. 



Wetmore (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 87, 1939, p. 195) recorded 

 this pigeon inland from the arid coastal region as far as El Sombrero 



