BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 199 



de la Costa, I heard these birds calling on November 9, and on Novem- 

 ber 1 1 saw several in open woodland near Maracay. 



The single specimen from near Ociimare de la Costa is an immature 

 female that is allocated imder the typical race on geographic gromids. 

 It is dark in color but because of its age is not exactly comparable 

 with other material at hand. The species is one in which a complete 

 revision is needed. 



LEPTOTILA VERRBAUXI BRASQJENSIS (Bonaparte) 



Peristera brasiliensis Bonaparte, Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, vol. 43, 1856, 

 p. 945 (French and Dutch Guiana, British Guiana and Rio Branco)." 



Near El Sombrero these pigeons were common through the dry 

 scrubs and were abundant in the low woods near the Rio Guarico, 

 from November 12 to 21. A male taken on November 17, while inter- 

 mediate toward those at hand from Panamd and western Costa Rica, 

 is distinctly dark and is believed to be nearer the type found along the 

 Rio Orinoco, which I have identified as brasiliensis. 

 ^ From the few specimens at hand it appears to me that L. v. insularis 

 Richmond of Margarita Island is distinct. More material is needed 

 to establish the races of this pigeon found in Venezuela. 



Family PSITTACIDAE 



ARATINGA PERTINAX AERUGINOSA (Linnaeas) 



Psittacus aeruginosus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 98 

 (Calaraar, lower Magdalena River, Colombia). 



Around El Sombrero this parakeet, called loro cara suda by the 

 native boys because of its dull-brown cheeks, was common. The 

 birds ranged in the forest growth and showed little fear of me, except 

 to sidle behind cover as I approached and to utter chattering calls. 

 On November 17 when I collected a pair the others paid no attention 

 to the fall of their companions. On November 21 I noted several at 

 Hato Pay a. 



With regard to the generic placement of this species, it appears 

 necessary to include it in Aratinga rather than to segregate it in a 

 separate group Eupsittula, as it does not appear to have characters of 

 generic value. As Peters has indicated," the original basis for Lin- 

 naeus' Psittacus aeruginosus is Edwards' brown-throated parakeet,^* 

 which that author was told came from the "West Indies." The female 

 in question refers to the race of this bird found from Colombia to 

 north-central Venezuela so that Chapman's designation of the type 



!• See Hellmayr, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 12, 1929, p. 471. 



I' Check-list of birds of the world, vol. 3, 1937, p. 190. 



;• Edwards, George, A natural history of birds, pt. 4, 1751, p. 177, pi. 177. 



