BIRDS OF NORTHERN VENEZUELA — WETMORE 253 



The specimen taken, which is just completing the molt, has the 

 following measurements: Wing 67.5, tail 55.3, culmen from base 11,8, 

 tarsus 17.0 mm. While it is identified as nigrigula it must be pointed 

 out that the lengths of wing and tail suggest the characters assigned to 

 roraimae. More specimens are desirable to check the identity of the 

 bird from this area, and the name assigned here is given only tenta- 

 tively because of lack of material. 



PIRANGA RUBRA (Linnaeus) : Summer Tanager 



Fringilla rubra Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 181 (South 

 Carolina). 



At Rancho Grande on November 4 one was calling from trees on an 

 open slope at an elevation of 3,400 feet. 



PIRANGA LEUCOPTERA ARDENS (Tschndi) 



Phoenisoma ardens Tschudi, Arch. Naturg., vol. 10, 1844, p. 287 (Vitoc, Depart- 

 ment Junfn, Perd)." 



In the great forests near Rancho Grande this handsome tanager was 

 fairly common, and it was always a delight to look from the yard at 

 my house and see a glowing red male resting in the morning sun among 

 the tops of trees rising from deep valleys to the level of my eyes. The 

 birds moved deliberately, resting for minutes at a time, so that their 

 beauties could be appreciated to the fullest advantage. Yellow- 

 breasted females were taken at 3,700 feet on November 4 and at 

 2,600 feet near Los Riitos on November 7. The broad, white wing 

 bars are a prominent field mark in both sexes. 



COMPSOCOMA SOMPTUOSA VENEZUELANA Hellmayr 



Compsocoma somptuosa venezuelana Hellmayr, Verh. Orn. Ges. Bayern, vol. 11, 

 1913, p. 317 (Cumbre de Valencia, Estado Carabobo, Venezuela). 



An adult female was taken in heavy forest at 3,700 feet elevation 

 above Rancho Grande on November 10 as it fed about the ends of 

 branches. Another had been seen earlier at about this same eleva- 

 tion. Compsocoma flavinucha of Bolivia differs in its extensively blue 

 rump so definitely from the northern members of this group that it 

 can hardly be held to be conspecific though it has been so indicated 

 recently by Hellmayr,^^ who lists the bird of northern Venezuela under 

 the name Compsocoma flavinucha venezuelana. 



'• Designated by Hellmayr, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 13, pt. 9, 1936, p. 289. 

 " Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 13, pt. 9, 1936, pp. 199-204. 



147878—39 6 



