﻿506 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loo 



MEGARHYNCHUS PITANGUA PITANGCA (Linnaeus) 



Lanius pitangua Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 136 (based 

 on Brisson (ex Marcgrave) , eastern Brazil). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9 , Cantaura, November 2, 1948; gonads small; iris brown, bill very dark 

 brown, feet black; plumage abraded. 



The collector recorded this flycatcher only at the time he took the 

 present example. Three were seen in the deciduous seasonal forest 

 on that day, and the bird is probably not uncommon in the area. In 

 life the bird is rather similar to the common "cristofue," although the 

 heavier head and shorter tail of the present species should have enabled 

 the collector to take more satisfactory field notes regarding its 

 abundance. 



MYIOZETETES CAYENNENSIS RUFIPENNIS Lawrence 



Myiozeteies rufipennis Lawrence, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, vol. 9, 1869, 

 p. 267 (Valencia, Venezuela). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 cf , Cantaura, April 19, 1948, gonads slightly enlarged; iris brown, bill and 

 feet black; gizzard contained small insects; wings and tail molting; the old upper 

 wing coverts, although quite abraded, showing characteristic rufous external 

 edgings. 



Together with the data recently put on record by Gilliard (Bull. 

 Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 77, 1941, p. 486), Wetmore (Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., vol. 87, 1939, p. 227), and Friedmann (Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., vol. 97, 1948, p. 503), the present Cantaura record indicates a 

 much greater distribution for rufipennis than Hellmayr gives (Cata- 

 logue of the birds of the Americas, pt. 5, 1927, p. 139). Wetmore 

 found it common in central northern Venezuela (Ocumare de la 

 Costa), while Holt (reported on by Friedmann, cit. supra) obtained 

 nontypical specimens as far south as the Casiquiare. 



This flycatcher was rather common in the groves of "chaparro" 

 around some ponds on the savanna and in the deciduous seasonal 

 woods edge habitat. 



It was recorded nesting in May and July. The nest was a bulky, 

 ovenlike affair of grass, lined with finer grasses, placed about 10 feet 

 above ground at the tip of a branch. 



The caU was a high seeeuu. 



MYIOZETETES SIMILIS COLUMBIANUS Cabanis and Heine 



Myiozetetes columbianus Cabanis and Heine, Museum Heineanum, vol. 2, 1859, 

 p. 62 (Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and Cartagena, Colombia). 



specimen collected 



1 9 , Caicara, December 30, 1945; gonads slightly enlarged; iris white; plumage 

 fairly fresh. 



