372 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAI MUSEUM. 
ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS FROM NICARAGUA. 
By CHARLES C. NUTTING. 
Edited by R. Ridgway.” 
In the early part of 1883, the writer visited Nicaragua for the purpose 
of making a collection of birds for the Smithsonian Institution. 
In order to procure as large a representation of Nicaragua birds as 
possible, four regions were visited. The first of these, San Juan del 
Sur, is situated on the Pacific coast; the second, Sucuya, on the west 
shore of Lake Nicaragua; the third, Ometepe,t is an island in the lake; 
and the fourth, Los Sabalos, is on the river San Juan del Norte, about 
30 miles from the east shore of the lake. 
It will be seen that these four stations form a chain across the greater 
part of Nicaragua, reaching from west to east. In order to present 
more forcibly the difference in the avifaune of these regions, induced 
by the marked difference in the physical characteristics of the four 
stations, a separate list of species will be given for each region visited. 
I.—SAN JUAN DEL SUR. 
On the 4th of January, 1883, the writer landed in San Juan del Sur, 
on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, a few miles north of the Costa Rican 
boundary. 
The port is situated in a beautiful harbor surrounded by low mount- 
ains, and is said to be the healthiest port on the Pacific coast of Central 
America. A small river empties into the bay, and the banks of this 
stream are the favorite resort of numerous species of water birds. 
A dense growth of small, thorny trees situated between the river and 
the town of San Juan affords a good field for collecting many kinds of 
~ small birds, while ina dense marshy forest beyond the river many larger 
and more wary species are to be found. 
The avifauna is not nearly so rich here as in the other localities which 
T visited, the water birds being the only ones found in unusual abun- 
dance. Several species of this class were observed, but not secured, the 
writer deeming it best to devote his time to families more likely to pro- 
duce novelties. 
All species marked with an asterisk are for the first time recorded 
from Nicaragua. 
*The editor of this paper is responsible for the nomenclature adopted and all crit- 
ical remarks. 
+I have adopted this spelling of the word Ometepe, from the fact that it is the one 
used by the natives of the country. I have in my possession an official paper in 
which the word occurs several times and is spelled in this way. I notice also that 
Captain J. M. Dow, of Panama, and Dr. Earl Flint, of Rivas, both use the same spell- 
ing. While the original Indian name was doubtless Ometepec, I prefer to spell it in 
accordance with the usage of the country.—C. N. 
