Vol. XIX" 

 1902 



Clark, Birds of Margarita Island. 26 1 



call, exactly the same as that of our common Bob-white, could be heard 

 at any time. 



12. Ortalis ruficaudayrtrff. Chachalaca. — The natives told me that 

 this bird was common on the mountain, but I did not succeed in getting 

 any there, although I found several nests which my guide attributed to 

 this species. They were all about twenty-five or thirty feet from the 

 ground, and were large and bulky. One contained a fresh egg (July 9) 

 which was unfortunately broken in being brought from the nest to the 

 ground. 



13. Leptotila insularis Richmond. Margaritan Dove. — This dove 

 was not rare, although shy and retiring, living on the wooded mountain 

 slopes where it was difficult to approach. 



14. Columbigallina passerina {Liti/i.). Ground Dove. — Abundant 

 everywhere except in the forest. I found several nests of this species 

 constructed in the post-cacti, one containing nearly full grown young 

 (July 17)- 



15. Columbigallina rufipennis (Bo/iap.). Rufous Ground Dove. — 

 Not very common, occurring mostly on the hill sides about El Valle. 



16. Scardafella ridgwayi Richmond. Ridgway's Scaled Dove. — 

 Abundant everywhere, except in the forest. In the coast region this was 

 the commonest bird, and could be seen everywhere, running along the 

 ground or perched on some low eminence. When stai'tled their wings 

 emit a peculiar rattle instead of a whistle. About El Valle they were 

 abundant on the barren mountain sides, and in the cocoanut groves. 

 Their cheerful /o-/<?-co was, perhaps, the most characteristic sound on the 

 island, and could be heard at any time coming from some post-cactus, 

 thorn-tree, or other suitable elevation. 



17. Cathartes aura [Linn.). Turkey Vulture. — Fairly common 

 about El Valle. 



18. Catharista urubu {VieilL). Black Vulture. — Abundant, espe- 

 cially about Porlamar and the neighboring beaches. 



19. Buteo albicaudatus Vieill. White-tailed Hawk. — Fairly com- 

 mon on the hot coast plain west of Porlamar, but rare in the interior. I 

 obtained one specimen, an immature female, and found the remains of an 

 adult nailed to a tree on the mountain side above El Valle. The people 

 at El Valle told me that it was rare there, and when I brought one home, 

 every one came over to have a look at it. This buzzard behaves much 

 like our common Red-tail, but is less shy. 



20. Falco sparverius Z,/'««. Sparrow Hawk. — Although I searched 

 carefully, I saw, none of these birds, but a man who had been out hunting 

 quail brought one in which he had shot in an open field near the house. 

 Capt. Robinson records the bird as "abundant" (in 1895). 



21. Gampsonyx swainsoni Vigors. Pearl Kite. — This pretty little 

 kite was very common about El Valle. My first example was shot from 

 an inaccessible nest in the topmost branches of a very tall tree. These 

 birds could be seen almost any time perched on some bare twig on the 



