﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 507 



A fairly common and widespread bird in northern Venezuela wher- 

 ever there are moist woodlands. 



This bird was abundant in the wet woods around Caicara, where it 

 preferred the tops of tall trees. It was also present but not common 

 in the dry woods around Cantaura. The calls were a high unmusical 

 twitter that neither rose nor fell in pitch, a chrrr that dropped rapidly, 

 and a high penetrating cheep. Wlien flying the bird can make a loud 

 woodpeckerlike thrwp with its wings, loud enough to attract the 

 attention of the collector even when the birds are flying from the 

 tops of trees perhaps 60 to 70 feet in height. 



PITANGUS SULPHUEATUS RUFIPENNIS (Lafresnaye) 



Saurophagus rufipennis Lafresnaye, Rev. Mag. Zool. ser. 2, vol. 3, 1851, p. 471 

 (Caracas). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 cf , Cantaura, July 2, 1947; gonads slightly enlarged; iris dark brown; gizzard 

 contained insects. 



Plumage very worn, but showing all the characters of the race 

 rufipennis, with no approach to those of P. s. trinitatis. 



This flycatcher was widely distributed throughout the region. 

 Especially around Cantaura, it preferred the woods in the vicinity of 

 water. It was recorded during every month of the year, and it was 

 observed nesting in March, April, and May. 



The call was a vigorous cristqfue or bem-te-vi strongly accented on 

 the first and last syllables. 



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



MYIARCHUS TYRANNULUS TYRANNULIJS (MUlIer) 



Muscicapa tyrannulus Muller, Natursystem, Suppl., 1776, p. 169 (based on 

 Daubenton, Planches enlumindes, pi. 571, fig. 1; Cayenne). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 c?, Cantaura, December 1, 1945; gonads not enlarged; iris light brown; 

 plumage much abraded. 



The specimen agrees with other similarly worn examples from San 

 Antonio and Puerto Ayacucho. 



This species was fairly common in all wooded and semiwooded 

 country visited ; recorded from January through July, August, Novem- 

 ber, and December. Unfortunately, the collector failed to describe 

 the call note at the time he secm-ed the specimen, but as he recalls it 

 this species' note reminded him of that of the North American crested 

 flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) although more subdued. 



TOLMOMYIAS FLAVIVENTRIS COLLINGWOODI (Chnbb) 



Rhynchocyclus flaviventris collingwoodi Chtjbb, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 40, 1920, 

 p. 109 (Macqueripe Valley, Trinidad), 

 855851—50 7 



