486 Dr. E. A. Goeldi on the Nesting of 



Phibalura is not at all rare. For example, here, in the 

 Sierra dos Orgaos, in Colonia Alpina, near Thcresopolis, 

 800 metres above the sea-level, it is even common, and half a 

 dozen specimens can be seen in a morning. Secondly, it does 

 not live in the forest, but in clear open places, in " pastos ^' 

 (meadows), in gardens, and near the roads. It has a most 

 confiding disposition, and is decidedly fond of human society, 

 as I shall presently show. As we know from von Pelzeln^, 

 Natterer met with Phibalura near Rio de Janeiro (June, 

 August), at Taipa (November), and at Mugy das Cruzes in 

 the mountain-forest on the way to Butuhuru (January). 

 But he has nothing to say about the biology of this bird, 

 except that berries were fouiul in the stomach of an old male 

 specimen. Phibaht,ra is ranged by von Pelzeln also among the 

 Cotingidse, near Procnias tersa. It may be useful to remark 

 here that the dates given by Natterer agree pretty well with 

 my own observations, and involve a confirmation of a biolo- 

 gical fact that I was fortunate enough to discover, namely, 

 that Phibalura flavirostris is a sunmier visitor and nesting- 

 bird in the mountain regions of the coast-zone of the States of 

 Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It is absent from the Serra 

 dos Orgaos during the winter months, and is at that time 

 met with in the low coast-regions of the neighbouring 

 countries. Thus I find in my former notes, made in Rio de 

 Janeiro, ''Phibalura, Rio de Janeiro market, i5th June, 

 1886,^' and I remember very well that, on inquiring in the 

 Rio market where the specimens of Phibalura exposed dead as 

 game in company with other birds {Tardus flavipes, Peristera 

 geoffroyi, &c.) were found, I was always told at the foot 

 of the Serra dos Orgaos. In the winter months Natterer 

 collected his specimens in Rio de Janeiro, and it was summer 

 when he met with the bird in the coast-mountains of 

 Sao Paulo. 



Having ordered all my people in the Colonia to observe this 

 bird whenever practicable, I was informed on the 25th Sept., 

 1892, by our engineer that a couple of Phibaluras were 

 * 'Zur Ornithologie BrasUiens/ p. 131. (Wien, 1871.) 



