﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 469 



This dove was common in the open fields and overgrown savanna, 

 particularly in the drier country around Cantaura; recorded in every 

 month of the year. It was perhaps a little commoner than the 

 preceding species in that its distribution is a little more general. 

 While generally encountered in small flocks of less than 10 birds, 

 it was not uncommon, toward the end of the nesting season, to see 

 flocks of 30 to 40 birds. With this exception little seasonal variation 

 was noted. 



The bird was found nesting around Cantaura during the months of 

 January through June, September and November. The nests found 

 were bulky, large in comparison with the size of the bird. They were 

 built of small twigs and lined with fairly fine grass and were placed in 

 small bushes about 2 to 3 feet oft" the ground. As the bushes were 

 leafless during January and February it was not a difficult task to 

 find these bulky nests. Two eggs are apparently a full clutch. 



The note of this bird is a soft, treble-toned coo or coook, repeated 

 several times. 



The general name for small doves, "potoca," was applied locally 

 to this species. 



COLUMBIGALUNA TALPACOTI HUFIPENNIS (Bonaparte) 



Chamaepelia rufipennis Bonaparte, Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, vol. 40, 

 No. 1, January 1855, p. 22 (environs of Cartagena, Colombia). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



Icf, Caicara, January 2, 1946; gonads enlarged; iris yellow-white, "but not 

 apparent in live bird — eye appears black" (?); feet light pink. 



This individual, although in worn plumage, agrees very well with 

 comparative material of this subspecies. 



This was the common dove of the wet woods edge around Caicara, 

 where it was noted during every month of the year. On the other 

 hand, it was rarely seen around Cantaura. 



CLAHAVIS PRETIOSA (Ferrari- Perez) 



Peristera pretiosa Ferrari-Perez, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 9, 1886, p. 175. 

 New name to replace Columba cinerea Temminck, 1811, not of Scopoli, 

 1786 (Brazil). 



SPECIMENS COLLECTED 



1 cf, Caicara, June 21, 1947; gonads enlarged; iris brown, tarsi and toes pink, 

 bill blue-green; gizzard contained seeds; plumage somewhat worn. 



1 9 , Cantaura, March 30, 1948; gonads slightly enlarged, bill blue-gray, iris 

 tan, feet pink; gizzard contained seeds; plumage somewhat worn. 



This dove was rather common in the woods at Caicara; at Cantaura 

 it was very rare, although at times (March and April) flocks of more 

 than 100 birds were seen in the heavier woods })ordering the nearby 

 stream. It was recorded during the months of March through June, 



