﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 477 



described from Caicara on the Rio Orinoco (and still known only from 

 the type locality), and elutus Todd, from Lorica, Bolivar, eastern 

 Colombia. The former is said to be nearest to melancerus of Mexico, 

 but darker, particularly above, the face also darker and more rufescent, 

 the legs more deeply rufescent and less mottled with dusky. None of 

 these characters hold in our bird when compared with a number of 

 Mexican melancerus. The race elutus is said to be like scotinus but 

 with the upper parts much paler, less rufescent, the legs more heavily 

 mottled with dusky. In its general coloration the Cantaura bird 

 seems to agree better with elutus than with scotinus, and also it 

 agrees (allowing for age differences) with four adult elutus from north- 

 eastern Colombia (La Raya, Bolivar, and Camperucho, Magdalena, 

 and La Gloria, Magdalena, and Rio Hacha, Guajira). 



This powerful owl was encountered in the deciduous seasonal woods 

 at Cantaura in May and again in August. The collector was informed 

 that it was present at Caicara, but it was apparently rare throughout 

 the area. 



Local name, "jujii," in imitiation of the call, supposedly a low 

 hooo-hooo. 



GLAUODIUM BRASIUANUM PHALOENOIDES (Daudin) 



Strix phaloenoides Daudin, Traits d'ornithologie, vol. 2, 1800, p. 206 (Trinidad). 



SPECIMENS COLLECTED 



2 9 , Cantaura, January 7, 1946 (gonads slightly enlarged), and April 12, 

 1945 (gonads not enlarged); iris pale yellow in one (gray phase), bright yellow 

 in the other (red phase) ; feet dull yellow-green. 



Insect remains were found in the gizzard of the April bird. This 

 specimen is in the gray-plumage phase and is somewhat darker than 

 a gray-phase bird from El Sombrero taken in November. The 

 other example is the reddest specimen seen of the brown phase. 

 Venezuelan birds are a rather conglomerate group showing variational 

 trends toward duidae, brasilianum, and medlanum, although by and 

 large they are closer to Trinidad birds (phaloenoides) than to any 

 other race. 



This little owl was abundant in the deciduous seasonal forest 

 edge; it was also present in the woods but apparently in lesser numbers. 

 It was recorded throughout the year. In January and February 

 at Cantaura as many as 10 birds at one time could be heard calling. 

 At this time of year the species apparently reached either its peak 

 in abundance or in calling activity. 



An immature bird, just out of the nest, was brought to the collector 

 in mid-July and was kept in captivity until August of the following 

 year. It had the run of the house and was active in the day as well 

 as the night; in the wild the species was noted to be remarkably 



