BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 203 



Family TYTONIDAE 



T¥TO ALBA (ScopoH) 



Strix alba Scopoli, Annus I: HiBtorico-naturalis, 1769, p. 21 (Friaul, northern 

 Italy). 



On several evenings during my stay in El Sombrero I heard the 

 familiar notes of young barn owls from a hole in the side of the church 

 tower but by day was never able to see the birds. Whether these 

 should be listed as Tyto alba siictica (Madardsz)^^ can be ascertained 

 only when specimens are obtained. 



Family STRIGIDAE 



GLAUCIDIUM BRASILIANUM PHALOENOIDES (Daudin) 



Strix phaloenoides Datjdin, Traits . . . d'ornithologie, vol. 2, 1800, p. 206 (Trini- 

 dad). 



On November 13 Ventura Barn6s, Jr., killed one of these small 

 owls for me in dense scrub 12 miles south of El Sombrero. On Novem- 

 ber 15 on the Meseta a short distance from town one flew into the top- 

 most branches of a tree m a little grove on the open prairie and 

 remained there m bright light looking about until I shot it. The 

 numerous small birds in the same grove paid little attention to it. 



Both of these birds are m the gray phase. In identifying them as 

 phaloenoides I have followed cm-rent practice, which allocates birds 

 from northern Venezuela to that race as the series of these owls at 

 hand does not allow critical consideration. 



Family CAPRIMULGIDAE 



NYCTIDROMUS ALBICOLLIS ALBICOLUS (Gmelin) 



Caprimulgus albicollis Gmelin, Systema naturae, vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 1030 

 (Cayenne). 



At Ocumare de la Costa on October 30 and at Hato Paya, north- 

 west of El Sombrero, on November 21,1 saw individuals in dense thick- 

 ets where the cover was heavy above and the ground open beneath, 

 but in each case the birds eluded capture. 



CHORDEILES MINOR (Forster): Nighthawk 



Caprimulgus minor Forster, Catalogue of the animals of North America, 1771, 

 p. 13 (South Carolina) . 



Near Guamitas at dusk on November 10 a nighthawk rested on the 

 paved road fljing only a few feet as our car passed. We stopped and 

 I saw the bird again but was not successful in collecting it. I was 

 certain, however, that it was the larger, northern bu'd. The hght 



M Strix stictica Madarftsz, Ann. Hist, Nat. Mus. Nat. Hungarici, vol. 2, June 25, 1904, p. 115 (M6rlda, 

 Veneiuela). 



