290 C'LhTLK, Habits of Certain Venezuelan Birds. Tf"'' 



disturbance, until you either take pity on its idiocy, or kill it. I 

 have shot two of them, perched near together, the second not being 

 moved in the slightest degree by the death of the first. Some- 

 times, indeed, when out collecting with native boys, I have refused 

 to shoot a puff-bird, whereupon they would attack it with stones, 

 on a few occasions actually succeeding in killing it without caus- 

 ing it to take alarm. This bird is provided with a couple of blunt 

 spurs on its wrists, with which it might possibly give one an 

 unpleasant surprise ; but I never saw an individual attempt to use 

 them, as when wounded, no matter how slightly, they always seem 

 quite resigned, and do not struggle as would a robin or blue-jay 

 under similar circumstances. 



Bonaparte's Woodpecker {Me/anerpes subelegans Bon.) is an 

 abundant bird on Margarita, and one can almost always hear it at 

 a greater or less distance. Its cry is a loud rattle, peculiarly 

 harsh and grating, which gets to be quite monotonous on short 

 acquaintance. In spite of its abundance, I had a hard time 

 getting specimens, as it seems to be difficult to kill ; so much so, 

 in fact, that it was one of the last birds added to my list. Their 

 nests are commonly constructed high up in the cocoanut palms. 



The little Bufif-breasted Hummingbird {Doleromya pallida 

 Richm.) is sure to force itself upon one's attention by means of 

 its strikingly loud voice. Just before dark, their notes, with a 

 peculiar metallic quality, can be heard coming from the thick 

 scrub on the hillsides. A close approach reveals the songster, 

 perched upon some prominent twig. Here he sits, until some 

 rival flies up and drives him off. He generally has not long to 

 wait, as these, in common with many other hummingbirds, are 

 very pugnacious. 



During my stay on the island, I discovered a nest of Alice's 

 Hummingbird {Amazilia alicice Richm.), neatly constructed after 

 the manner of the red-eyed vireo ; but while I was engaged in 

 getting some means by which to reach it, my native companions, 

 thinking I had left it, took the opportunity of testing their skill at 

 stone-throwing, with the result that the nest was totally destroyed, 

 and the bird killed. The boys also found some nests of Atala's 

 Emerald {C/ilorostilhon caribbiea Lawr.), but I was not fortunate 

 enough to do so. The birds were, in two cases, readily captured. 



