BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 207 



CHALYBURA BUFFONU AENEICAUDA Lawrence 



Chalybura aeneicauda Lawrence, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 17, 

 1865, p. 38 (Venezuela). 



A female was taken on October 31 from several seen feeding at the 

 flowers of an orange-colored morning-glory at 4,000 feet elevation 

 in the valley of the Rio Cumboto near Ocumare de la Costa. 



ANTHRACOTHOKAX NIGR1COI.LIS NIGRICOLUS (Vieillot) 



Trochibis nigricollis Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 7, 1817, p. 349 (Brazil). 



A female was taken as it fed at flowers near the road at Hato 

 Pay a, 18 miles northwest of El Sombrero. 



ADELOMYIA MELANOGENYS AENEOSTICTA Simon 



Adelomyia aeneosticta Simon, M^m. Soe. Zool. France, vol. 2, pt. 2, 1889, p. 22S 

 (San Esteban, Venezuela). 



From November 3 to 10 these birds were common in the vicinity 

 of Rancho Grande, Four specimens were taken, including a male on 

 November 4 and females on November 3 and 6. They were especially 

 common in dense, wet forest at El Portachuelo, where often I heard the 

 subdued humming of their wings when the birds themselves were 

 hidden from sight in the shrubbery. Frequently they appeared 

 within a few feet of me. They were feeding mainly at the flowers 

 of a peculiar shrub in which the blossom grows directly from the 

 sides of little branches. As the twigs were fairly thick, free wing 

 movement for a hummer was often difficult. In such circumstances 

 the birds perched to probe the blossoms and, when finished with one, 

 to reach a further food supply often hopped from one twig to another, 

 sometimes with a flit of the wings, but more often without such aid. 

 The method of progression for these short distances was like that of a 

 perching bird, and entirely different from anything that I have seen 

 a hummingbird do before. 



These hummers were found also at times about other flowers at 

 the border of the forest, and once I found several working over herb- 

 age on a steep bank. I recorded them from 2,800 feet on the north 

 slope of the Cordillera de la Costa to 3,700 feet above El Portachuelo. 



CYANOLESBIA KINGO MARGARETHAE (Heine) 



Lesbia Margarethae Heine, Journ. fiir Oin., 1863, p. 213 (Caracas, Venezuela). 



Fairly common in heavy forest near Rancho Grande. On Novem- 

 ber 5 I saw several at 3,700 feet feeding at large, deep-red flowers 

 growing in shade, and collected a male. On November 6 one scolded 

 with an insistent chipping call at a hawk perched in dense growth, 

 and when I shot the hawk the hummer came and hovered for several 

 seconds in front of me. On November 8 I found them to 4,000 feet 



