﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 475 



This species was encountered only in small fields in the immediate 

 vicinity of water, both at Cantaura and Caicara. It was recorded 

 (luring every month of the year, apparently breeding in July. 



The call note was a whistled pedro luis, accented on the rising luiiis. 



Local name, "pedro luis," in imitation of the call note. 



CROTOPHAGA SULCIROSTRIS Swalneon 



Crotophaga suldrostris Swainson, Philos. Mag., 1827, p. 440 (Mexico), 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9 , Cantaura, Februarj' 25, 1946; gonads very small; iris dark brown; plumage 

 very worn. 



This ani was a common bird throughout the year in the woodland 

 edge, the overgrown fields, and clearings around Cantaura and Caicara. 

 A female, taken during the second week of August, had a fully formed 

 light-blue egg in the oviduct. 



Its local name, "pedro luis," is in imitation of its call note. To 

 the collector this note sounded more like a sneezy kt cheeeuu kt cheeeuu, 

 with the accent on the chee. 



TAPERA NAEVIA NAEVIA (Linnaeus) 



Cuculus naevius Linnaeits, Systema naturae, ed. 12,vol. 1, 1766, p. 170 (Cayenne). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 d^, Caicara, June 21, 1947; gonads not enlarged; iris bright tan, feet and bill 

 blue-gray; gizzard contained insects; plumage very abraded. 



This species was irregularly distributed throughout the study area. 

 Generally scattered individuals would be found at certain localities 

 in the overgrown wooded fields, both at Cantam-a and Caicara. It 

 was recorded during March, April, June, July, and September. 



The call, a high, clear, whistled feen-feen or feen-feen-feen was 

 usually given late in the afternoon, often one bird answering another. 



Local name, "fin-fin," in imitation of the call note. 



Family TYTONIDAE: Barn Owls 



TYTO ALBA STICTICA (Madarasz) 



Strix stictica MadarXsz, Ann. Mus. Nat. Hungar., vol. 2, 1904, p. 115 (M^rida, 

 1,630 meters, Venezuela). 



SPECIMENS COLLECTED 



1 9 , Cantaura, June 15, 1948; gonads slightly enlarged; iris brown. 

 1 9 , Cantaura, February 15, 1949; gonads somewhat enlarged; iris brown, 

 1 9 , fledgling, Caicara, November 14, 1947; gonads small; iris dark brown, 

 bill flesh color. 



The first specimen listed is very rufescent below, the second one is 



855851—50 6 



