BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 183 



TIGKISOMA LINBATUM UNEATUM (Boddaert) 



Ardea linea(a Boddaekt, Table des planches eiilumin6ez, 1783, p. 52 (Cayenne). 



Near a small slough leading into the Rio Guarico below El Sombrero 

 on November 20 I watched a tiger bittern for some time as it rested 

 quietly in the open branches of a low shrub. 



Family THRESKIORNITHIDAE 



GUARA ALBA (Linnaeus): White Ibis 



Scolopax alba Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol.1, 1758, p. 145 (South Caro- 

 lina). 



At Independencia, below Ocumare de la Costa, an immature bird 

 was seen daily in the lagoon from October 25 to 30. 



Family ANATIDAE 



QUERQUEDULA DISCORS (Linnaeus) : Blue- winged Teal 



Anas discors Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 206 (South Garo* 

 lina) . 



From October 22 to 30 from 6 to 20 of these teals were seen daily on the 

 lagoon at Independencia, below Ocumare de la Costa. No one hunted 

 them and they were quite tame, paying little attention to my shooting at 

 other birds except when I was working about the shores of the lagoon. 

 On October 28 at sunrise while watching with 8-power binoculars a 

 man-o'-war-bird far out at sea, I saw in the distance beyond it a bird 

 flying low over the water coming from due north toward the land. 

 Gradually its form became larger and larger in my vision until finally 

 as it reached the beach and rose a little to cross over to the lagoon I 

 identified it as a swiftly flying blue-winged teal. I realized then that 

 I had actually seen a northern migrant as it made a landfall on the 

 Venezuelan coast after its long flight across the Caribbean Sea. 



Family CATHARTIDAE 



CORAGYPS ATRATUS FOETENS (Lichtenstein) 



Cathartes foetens Lichtenstein, Verzeichniss von ausgestopften Saugethieren und 

 Vogeln, 1818, p. 30 (Paraguay). 



The black vulture, known ordinarily as the zamuro, was seen con- 

 stantly in the air over the towns and cities and was widely distributed 

 in the lowlands where it was seen daily. The humid forested section 

 near Raucho Grande in the mountains was less to its liking, so that it 

 appeared over the higher slopes only on exceptionally clear days. 

 In the llanos it was especially common. At times a hundred or more 

 were seen gathered in a close band on the ground about some dead 

 animal. 



