﻿492 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. lOO 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 cf, Caicara, December 27, 1945; gonads not enlarged; iris brown; tarsi and toes 

 light cobalt. Some of inner primaries and secondaries are externally edged with 

 dull sepia, making it seem as if the bird were in molt when collected, the old brown 

 remiges showing among the black new ones. However, there is no other visible 

 sign of molt. 



This beautiful toucan was common in the wet woods around Caicara; 

 it was not encountered elsewhere. The birds were generally seen in 

 pairs, although five or six often could be heard calling at the same 

 time. Its call consists of three loud notes, uttered rhythmically with a 

 brief pause between each note. It may be written peeah-po-co; the 

 first note is high and downward-slurring, accented at the beginning; 

 the other two notes are lower in tone. These notes aU carry equally 

 well; even at a distance the peeah-po-co is still clear and unmistakable. 

 The bird bobs its head to the rhythm of the call. Locally it is thought 

 to make the sign of the cross at this time. 



It was recorded in February, March, April, June, July, September, 

 and December. A female examined in July was found to be in breed- 

 ing condition, the ovary with "small yolks." 



Local name, "piapoco," in imitation of the call. 



PTEROGLOSSUS AEACARI RORAIMAE Brabourne and Chubb 



Pteroglossus roraimae Brabourne and Chubb, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 

 vol. 10, 1912, p. 261 (British Guiana). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 ? , Caicara, December 21, 1945; gonads not enlarged; iris brown, tarsi and 

 toes dull green; in molt. 



The limited material available for study does not lead to a conclusive 

 decision regarding the separation proposed by Brabourne and Chubb 

 (cit. supra) of a form roraimae from British Guiana and adjacent 

 parts of Venezuela. Peters (Check-list of birds of the world, vol. 6, 

 1949, p. 76) accepts this race, and we follow his arrangement. Our 

 present example agrees with two from British Guiana in its broad 

 black culminal stripe; it differs from them in having darker green 

 thighs. 



On August 28 at Caicara a nest was found in a hole about 40 feet 

 up in a spiny "habillo" tree. It contained two young almost ready 

 to fly. Apparently both parents tend the young, as one of the old 

 birds was killed at the nest several days earlier by a boy with an 

 air gun, yet the young ones were being fed by the other parent on 

 August 28. 



This small toucan was found uncommonly at the edge of the wet 

 woods around Caicara; it wa,s not encountered elsewhere. The caU 

 note is a low, slightly aspirate k'sing Fsing — not a striking call and 

 one that could easily pass unnoticed. 



Local name, ''tilin," in imitation of the call note. 



