﻿520 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loo 



The specimen was collected in the deciduous seasonal woods at 

 Caicara; it was not otherwise recorded. The bird was uttering a 

 chattermg note. At the same time its tail was spread fanwise, cocked 

 straight up and vigorously swinging from side to side while in that 

 position. This action was a striking field mark, not hkely to be over- 

 looked in spite of the small size of the bird. 



Family MOTACILLIDAE: Pipits 



ANTHUS LUTESCENS LUTESCENS Pncheran 



Anthus lutescens (Cuvier MS.) Pucheran, Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, vol. 7, 

 1855, p. 343 C'Br6sil," vicinity of Rio de Janeiro). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 cf, Caicara, December 20, 1945; gonads not enlarged; iris brown. 



Our single example is in molt and is therefore not so useful for 

 critical study as it otherwise might have been, but it agrees very well 

 with a good series from Brazil. Specimens from Argentina are some- 

 what darker, but the difference is not great. Hellmayr (Catalogue 

 of the birds of the Americas, pt. 8, 1935, p. 91, footnote) cautions 

 against further "splitting" of this "notoriously variable" species, and 

 it is true that larger series are needed before the whole matter can be 

 straightened out. 



Caicara appears to be the northeastemmost Venezuelan locality from 

 which the yellowish pipit has been recorded. Hellmayr does not in- 

 clude British Guiana in its range; it may therefore be worth while to 

 record a specimen in the United States National Museum from 

 "Demerara" (No. 70695). If the admittedly general locality on the 

 label be accurate it is the northeasternmost record for the species; 

 if not, our present bird from Caicara would seem to have that honor. 



This pipit was abundant on the open savanna at least during March, 

 May through October, and December. 



It was in full song in June. The bird would rise to a considerable 

 height, often until it appeared a speck in the sky, and utter its four 

 notes again and again. The song may be written tsit, tsit, tsit, zeeeeee, 

 the pipit uttering one weak tsit with each successive wing beat, then 

 falling with outspread wings as it utters the penetrating zeeeeee. In 

 the middle of June the collector timed one singing bird. It sang ap- 

 proximately once every 9 seconds for about 20 minutes. 



One neat, ovenlike nest of this species was found in the short grass 

 late in June. It contained five young. 



Family CYCLARHIDAE: Pepper Shrikes 



CYCLARraS GUJANENSIS FLAVIPECTUS Sclater 



Cyclarhis flavipecius Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1858, p. 448, part (Trini- 

 dad). 



