258 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM Vol.87 



ground in openings in the scrub, and at any alarm flew immediately 

 into dense cover. They were quite shy in such shelter. At Rancho 

 Grande on November 10 I saw several males along the open roadway 

 between 3,300 and 3,500 feet, and a few were recorded at El Sombrero, 

 November 17 to 19, and near Hato Paya, November 21. 



SPOROPHILA NIGRICOLLIS NIGRICOLLIS (Vieillot) 



Pyrrhula Nigricollis Vieillot, Tableau encyclop^dique et m^thodique . . ., livr. 

 93, July 1823, p. 1027 (Brazil). 



At Ocumare de la Costa I found little bands of half a dozen of these 

 seed-eaters feeding in low, open scrub bordering pasturelands or on 

 grass-grown slopes on hot hillsides. The birds flew quickly to cover 

 when startled. An immature male was taken here on October 23. 

 At Rancho Grande a few were found in small tracts of grass and weeds 

 bordeiing the highway at elevations of from 3,000 to 3,500 feet. An 

 adult male taken on November 3 is molting over the entire body. 

 On November 12, an immature female was shot 2 miles south of Ortiz, 

 Estado Guarico, and several were seen at El Sombrero on November 

 19. The species formerly was known as Sporophila gutturalis (Licht- 

 enstein). 



SPOROPHILA BOUVRONIDES (Lesson) 



Pyrrhula bouvronides Lesson, Traill d'ornithologie, livr. 6, Feb. 1831, p. 450 

 (Trinidad) .81 



An adult taken on October 24 at 700 feet elevation above the Rio 

 Ciimboto near Ocumare de la Costa was found at the edge of a thicket. 



VOLATINIA JACARINA SPLENDENS (Vieillot) I 



Fringilla splendens Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 12, June 1817, p- 173 

 (Cayenne). 



In the grounds of the American Legation in Caracas I saw several j 

 blue-black grassquits on October 17. Near El Sombrero they were 

 fairly common in weed-grown fields near the Rio Guarico, where I 

 shot one on November 19 but lost it from my game bag in some way 

 while returning to town. 



SPINUS PSALTRIA COLUMBIANUS (Lafresnaye) ^rfl 



Carduelis columUanus Lafresnaye, Rev. Zool., vol. 6, 1843, p. 292 (Bogota, 

 Colombia). 



Near Ranclio Grande I found smnll flocks of these little goldfinches 

 ranging in open lands that when disturbed disappeared in the cover 

 of vines or low trees. They were observed along the roadway as 

 high as the hotel at 3,500 feet. An adult male taken on November 9 

 at 3,000 feet has the tail entirely black. 



« Designated by Hellmayr, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 13, pt. 11, 1938, p. 211. 



