﻿VENEZUELAN ORNITHOLOGY — FRIEDMANN AND SMITH 529 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



IcT, Cantaura, September 1, 1947; gonads enlarged; iris brown, skin around 

 eyes and bill black; gizzard contained seeds and insects; plumage somewhat worn. 



This large yellow-breasted blackbird was common at the savanna 

 ponds and occasional throughout the deciduous seasonal woods and 

 edge in the vicinity of water. It was recorded in January, February, 

 March, April, May, July, August, September, November, and 

 December, generally in small flocks. In August a bird was seen 

 carrying food in its bill, presumably to feed young. 



The collector never observed it in cornfields, as the local name would 

 indicate. 



Local name, "tordo maicero," corn blackbird. 



STURNELLA MAGNA PRATICOLA Chabb 



Siurnella magna pralicola Chubb, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 8, 1921, 

 p. 445 (Abary River, British Guiana). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 9 , Cantaura, February 9, 1946; gonads greatly enlarged; iris brown, bill 

 light blue-gray. 



The small size (wing 91 mm.) of our specimen leaves no doubt as to 

 its being pralicola and not paralios. It differs from two male speci- 

 mens of praticola from Puerto Ayacucho on the Upper Orinoco in 

 having the nape and upper back more brownish, the dark centers of 

 the feathers less blackish, and also in having the two stripes on the 

 head more brownish, less blackish. 



The Guianan meadowlark was common on the open savanna; it 

 was rarely seen in small fields similar to those which, in the eastern 

 United States, would have supported a pair of North American 

 meadowlarks (aS'. m. magna). The song was similar to but more 

 rapid than that of S. m. magna. 



It was recorded throughout the year, nesting in May and November. 



A fledgling was brought to the collector on May 5, 1945. 



The bird was commonly known locally as "mochila vacia" in 

 imitation of its song. It was known also as "perdig6n." 



Family THRAUPIDAE: Tanagers 



TANAGRA CHLOROTICA TRINITATIS (Strickland) 



Ewphonia trinitatis Strickland, Contr. Orn., pt. 2, 1851, p. 72 (Trinidad). 



SPECIMENS collected 



1 c?, Caicara, December 23, 1945; gonads slightly enlarged; iris brown; a young 

 bird molting into adult plumage. 



Id',! 9 , Cantaura, January 9, 1946 and February 17, 1945; gonads of January 

 9 slightly enlarged, of February cT very much so; iris brown in 9, black in cf; 

 feet of cT black. 



