BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 251 



OSTINOPS ANGUSTIFRONS OLEAGINEUS Sclater 



Ostinops oleagineus Sclater, Ibis, 1883, p. 154, pi. 7 (Venezuela). 



At Rancho Grande in early morning on November 5 a flock came 

 about the house with much chattering and calling to investigate the 

 banana plantation, and then to continue into the woods. Some of 

 their odd notes suggest in a way some of the calls of the male cow- 

 bird {Molothrus ater). A male taken was molting the wings and tail. 

 Others were seen on the two da3^s following. The natives call this 

 bird conote. 



The proper generic name for this group of species is Ostinops, 

 Hellmayr '^ being completely in error in using Xanthornus, and in 

 his statement that through vote at the International Zoological 

 Congress at Padua Brissonian names are no longer recognized as 

 valid. While such a motion was introduced at the Congress it was 

 not sanctioned or accepted by the International Committee on 

 Zoological Nomenclature, which has power in these matters. The 

 generic names of Brisson are accepted and have definite status. 



OSTINOPS DECUMANUS DECUMANUS (Pallas) 



Xanthornus decumanus Pallas, Spicilegia zoologica, fasc. 6, 1769, p. 1, pi. 1 

 (Surinam) , 



A male was taken on October 30 at Ocumare de la Costa from a 

 flock of half a dozen found scattered through the tall trees shading a 

 cacao plantation. The throat of this bird was filled with banana 

 pulp. Near El Sombrero yellow-tails passed overhead daily in early 

 mommg, and on November 20 I found them common in woods 

 near the Rio Guarico. One that I shot was in bad plumage and was 

 injured so that I preserved only the skull. The one taken, with a 

 specimen from San Julifi,n, Venezuela, and two from Demerara agree 

 in having a faint indistinct edging or wash of deep chestnut bordering 

 the feathers of the middle and lower back, in this differing from skins 

 from Colombia west to Panamd, which are blacker above, thus sup- 

 porting Todd's contention that the Colombian birds represent a 

 distinct race, 0. d. melanterus. 



Family THRAUPIDAE 



CHLOROSPINGUS OPHTHALMICUS JACQUETI Hellmayr 



Chlorospingus venezuelanus jacqueti Hellmayr, Anz. Ornith. Ges. Bayern, vol. 4, 

 Mar. 1921, p. 28 (Galipdn, Cerro de Avila, near Caracas, Venezuela). 



In the subtropical forest of the Cordillera de la Costa near Rancho 

 Grande this was one of the common birds, so that seven skins were 

 prepared between November 3 and 10. These small tanagers ranged 



« Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 13, pt. 10, 1937, pp. 10-11. 



