﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 467 



birds of the year. In March the numbers increased suddenly, and 

 over a hundred birds could be seen in favorite localities. Movement 

 was continued throughout April, and by the middle of May it was 

 possible to count almost a thousand birds during the evening flight 

 to the roosting sites. The peak was reached late in May and early 

 in June, when, at one favorite locality, where the evening flight 

 was measured to be 4 km. broad, and took two hours to pass the ob- 

 servation point, it was possible to arrive at a total figure of 8,000 to 

 10,000 individuals, by careful estimate. The birds making up this 

 flight customarily flew in flocks of 50 to 100, allowing the collector 

 to count large and small flocks passing over a measured distance. 

 By the end of June the numbers had decreased sharply, and this 

 decrease continued to be rapid through July and August. During 

 September, October, and November it was often possible to record 

 50 birds in a day, but by December the dove was rare, dropping to 

 its minimum in January and February. 



This dove was found to be breeding in the area from the month of 

 April to early in August, and September through November. Individ- 

 uals shot for sport from the great flocks of May and June were in 

 breeding condition, or possibly in recent postbreeding condition. 

 It was a surprise to the collector to find the bird nesting in November, 

 when the great majority had long since disappeared from the area. 

 Nests, well made of twigs, were found both on the ground and in small 

 trees, up to 8 feet above ground. The white eggs were generally 

 found to be two to a clutch. 



A record of a single nest is as foHows: 



July 20 — birds seen carrying twigs, building nest. 



July 21 — incubating 2 eggs (one laid on the evening of the 20th and one on 

 the morning of the 2ist, with incubation beginning at once (?)). 



August 2 — young first seen; already quite large with pinfeathers in the wings. 



August 6 — young climbing out of nest, flapping their wings. 



August 9 — young left the nest, but sta3'ed in the same bush; parent bird 

 roosted with them at night; aU were gone the next day; 21 days in all from 

 nest-building to abandonment. 



This species commonly fed on small seeds gleaned from the ground. 

 It was also fond of the seeds of certain bushes and trees of the habitat. 



The call was a soft simple coooo rising very slightly at the end. 



Local names, "paloma sabanera," savanna dove, and "paloma 

 chaparrera," chaparro dove. 



SCARDAFELLA SQUAMMATA RIDGWAYI Richmond 



Scardafella ridgwayi Richmond, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 18, 1896, p. 660 

 (Margarita Island, Venezuela). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9 , Cantaura, Anzodtegui, April 12, 1946; gonads very enlarged; iris light 

 yellow-brown, tarsi and toes light pink; feathering worn. 



The single example collected agrees very closely with the type. 



