BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 247 



seen almost daily about the house m which I lived where they ranged 

 through the tops of the tall trees that grew up from deep, steep-sided 

 valleys to the level of the yard, but in such locations it was impossible 

 to secure them, as specimens shot here would have fallen into the 

 depths below to be lost. They were regular parts of the flocks of small 

 birds that ranged through the forest and were seen up to 4,000 feet. 

 The yellow underparts and wliite in the tail made prominent field 

 marks. Once I saw one spread the tail feathers in a wide fan and hold 

 them thus for several seconds, a strildng display that was repeated 

 several times. The gradual transition by graded steps from this yellow 

 form to the one with red breast found in Mexico and Guatemala is 

 truly remarkable. 



BASILEUTERUS MERIDANUS MERIDANUS Sharpe 



Basileuterus meridanus Sharpe, Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum, 

 vol. 10, 1885, p. 387 (Mgrida, Venezuela). 



Near Rancho Grande these birds were fairly common in dense forest, 

 where they worked among the lower branches of the trees or in the 

 tops of undergrowth, often in company with little groups of other 

 small, forest-loving kinds. The five shot on November 2, 5, 8, and 10 

 were taken at elevations ranging from 3,700 to 4,000 feet. 



In mj opinion Todd ^^ is correct in considering that meridanus is 

 specifically distinct from iristriaius because of the difference in head 

 markings. From examination of a good series it appears that true 

 meridanus ranges from the M^rida region east in the mountains to the 

 vicinity of Rancho Grande, birds from the mountains about Caracas 

 being separable under the subspecific name bessereri of Hellmayr, on 

 basis of duller, less yellowish color below and lighter greenish tinge of 

 the back. I have seen specimens of bessereri from El Lim6n, Cotiza, 

 Silla de Caracas, Galipan in the Cerro de Avila, near Caracas, and 

 from Colonia Tovar, Estado Aragua. The specimens secured at 

 Rancho Grande agree perfectly with birds from the M6rida region and 

 mark the easternmost point from which true meridanus is at present 

 known. 



BASILEUTERUS CULICIVORUS CABANISI Berlepsch 



Basileuterus Cabanisi, Berlepsch, Ornith. Centralbl., vol. 4, 1879, p. 63 (Puerto 

 Cabello, Venezuela). 



On October 24 I collected two in heavy rain forest at an elevation of 

 700 feet above the Rio Cumboto, southwest of Ocumare de la Costa. 

 The birds ranged through the middle level of the trees with other small 



«> Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 74, art. 7, 1929, pp. 55-56. 



