﻿518 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loo 



active, fluttering their wings briskly, preening themselves, and even hopping out 

 of nest on nearby twigs and then returning. They utter a soft peee peee while 

 being fed. Can't make out what the food is. Young uttering a loud cheeup note. 

 Parents removing fecal matter from nest, at times apparently actually eating it. 

 Iris of young is dark brown. Parents still giving display when entering bush. 

 One young taken from nest; parents apparently did not notice difference. 



August 9. All gone (remaining two were taken from nest for cage birds) . One 

 adult comes twice to nest. No alarm given or special excitement shown. Believe 

 young would have left nest today anyway. 



The call notes and song were similar to those of the mockingbird 

 of the Eastern United States (Mimus p. polyglottos) , although the 

 quality and volume of the song are markedly inferior. Moreover, 

 the collector never heard the present species imitate any other bird. 



The local name is "paraulata." 



Family TURDIDAE: Thrushes 



TUHDUS NUDIGENIS NUDIGENIS Lafresnaye 



Turdus nudigenis Lafeesnaye, Rev. Zool., vol. 11, 1848, p. 4 (Caracas). 



SPECIMENS COLLECTED 



1 cT, Caicara, December 26, 1945, gonads not enlarged; iris russet-brown, eye 

 ring rich yellow, bill dark olive shading to yellow-green at tip. 



1 cf, Cantaura, December 29, 1947; gonads small; iris brown, eye ring orange, 

 bill duU yellow-brown, feet gray-brown; gizzard contained berries. 



Our examples, in slightly worn plumage, agree fairly well with one 

 from Ciudad Bolivar. 



This thrush was common in the lowland seasonal forest at Caicara; 

 it was present, but rare, in the deciduous seasonal woods at Cantaura 

 and then always near water. It was recorded in the months of Jan- 

 uary through April, July, September, November, and December. 



A nest of mud mixed with a few fine twigs was found at Caicara 

 the first week of July, about 6 feet up in a crotch formed by a big 

 branch; it was so covered with moss as to be most inconspicuous. It 

 contained four blue-green eggs, heavily blotched with russet. 



The bird has a variety of calls, some quite thrushlike and some 

 decidedly not. Among the common calls was a catlike meow and a 

 rising cha-ray-rah (charera) . The song was melodious and thrushlike. 



Kjiown locally as "charera." 



TURDUS LEUCOMELAS ALBIVENTER Spis 



Turdus albiventer Spix, Avium species novae . . . Brasiliam . . . , vol. 1, 1824, 

 p. 70, pi. 69, fig. 2 (Pard, BrazD). 



SPECIMENS COLLECTED 



1 cf , Cantaura, April 20, 1946; gonads enlarged; iris brown. 



1, unsexed, fledgling, Cantaura, August 10, 1947; iris gray-brown. 



