£±0 Todd, The Genus Eupsychortyx. L April 



present form. It is doubtful, however, if the bird figured by 

 Audubon from the "northwest coast of America" really belongs 

 here, 



Up to 1911 the typical form was not certainly known to occur 

 on the adjoining mainland, although in the meantime Dr. von 

 Madarasz had described a race from the Andes of Merida. In 

 that year, however, a small series was received by both the Field 

 and the Carnegie Museums from sundry localities in northwestern 

 Venezuela. Mr. Cory presently described his series from the 

 Rio Aurare (opposite Maracaibo) as a new subspecies, but I must 

 confess that with his type series and other specimens before me 

 I am unable to separate them satisfactorily from Curasao birds, 

 all the characters assigned proving too inconstant. In 1914 the 

 receipt of specimens from Rio Hacha, Colombia, by the Carnegie 

 Museum extended the range of the species to include the Goajira 

 Peninsula. The Rio Hacha birds, however, show apparent signs 

 of an influx of leucopogon blood. The males have rather more 

 amber brown feathers in the superciliaries than is usual with 

 cristatus, while the females have the buffy color of the under parts 

 paler, and the markings of the throat tending to streaks rather 

 than squamations. 



In all probability the continental range of this form includes 

 all the low region (Tropical Zone) in the vicinity of Maracaibo 

 Lake and Gulf, in the pocket formed by the Andes of Venezuela 

 and the Eastern Andes of Colombia. As already shown, it ex- 

 tends westward along the coast to approximate the range of E. 

 leucopogon, and there is a possibility that it may also meet the 

 range of E. sonnini to the eastward. Concerning its habits, as 

 observed by him in the Dutch West Indies, Dr. Hartert writes 

 as follows: 



"This pretty bird is not rare in Aruba and Curasao, but is 

 not found everywhere. The natives call it 'Sockle,' a name de- 

 rived from its note, which is uttered very frequently. It is much 

 esteemed as food, and sometimes sold in the market alive. 



"This bird is not easy to obtain in any great numbers without 

 a dog, as it does not care to fly and is difficult to be seen in grassy 

 places. It is not found on Bonaire." 



