82 Dr. J. Murie on the Guacharo or 



nected with its systematic place, anatomical structure, &c. 

 My memoranda, as the title intimates, are but fringes to the 

 warp and woof of its history. An adult specimen passed 

 through my hands a few years ago ; hut I was only able to 

 examine it exteriorly. The notes I made thereon have this 

 value, that they are scrupulously exact, and may hereafter 

 be useful to others investigating this odd form, as in some 

 minutiae they do not coincide with previous statements. I 

 make no comments or comparisons, the data being too trifling 

 to justify positive deduction. 



Coloration. — The whole of the upper surface of the body, 

 wing-coverts, secondaries, and tail are of a rich chestnut-brown 

 — each individual feather, however, being barred or mottled, 

 faintly or otherwise, according to the situation. The under- 

 parts are lighter in hue, especially the throat and axillary 

 regions ; but the same body-tint pervades the whole. Upon the 

 back of the head, the throat, and the thorax the feathers possess 

 each a double marking of white. These are in elliptical or 

 transversely elongated patches, each white patch being sur- 

 rounded by a narrow line of black. In the axillary region 

 and sides of the thorax this gives a greyish tinge to the feather- 

 ing, because of the bicolour patches being more plentifully 

 distributed. The abdominal feathers are of a rich cinnamon- 

 colour ; they nevertheless, although partially hidden, have five 

 white linear markings on the rachis of each feather. 



On the wing-coverts there are six or seven very distinct and 

 well-defined white spots with black margins, each as large as 

 a threepenny -piece. The outermost two are in advance of 

 the others. The four outer primaries and two outer secon- 

 daries present an external row of white spots ; in the others 

 there is an indistinct barring of brown edged with black. On 

 the inner side of the vane of the remaining secondaries are 

 more or less clear markings of white, brown, and black. The 

 inner half of each wing-feather is much darker than its outer 

 hall. 



Every tail-feather has successive brown and black bars 

 throughout, the brown being broadest beyond the middle of 

 the tail. The two outer tail-feathers are distinguished by 



