CHERRIE : ORNITHOLOGY OF THE ORINOCO REGION. 187 



Xot common along the Orinoco proper. It was observed, however, 

 at Caicara and at Quiribana de Caicara, being found in the tangle of 

 low shrubs that skirted the belt of heavy timber which marked the 

 course of Quiribana Creek. On the San Feliz River, near its junc- 

 tion with the Cuchivero this species was, however, not uncommon 

 during my visit there in May of 1907. Here it frequented the same 

 character of locality as that about Quiribana de Caicara. 



Young males resemble the females. One taken at Las Guacas, 

 on the San Feliz River, May i8th, is in transitional plumage, just 

 assuming that of the adult male. In the wings the Qth, 8th and 5th 

 primaries are new, the others are in the dusky brown of the female, 

 the three outermost secondaries are old succeeded by three new ones 

 which are followed by a single brown quill and lastly two more new 

 black quills. There are scattering black feathers on the back of the 

 neck and top of the head and a few on the throat. The longest of the 

 under tail-coverts are black. 



ORYZOBORUS ANGOLENSIS (Linnaeus). 



Loxia angolensis L., Syst. Nat. ed. 12. I. 1766. p. 303. 

 Oryzoborus angolensis Berlepsch & Hartert, p. 25. 



Native name Pico de plata, pico negro. 



Not common. Noted at Altagracia, Caicara, and Quiribana de 

 Caicara along the Orinoco, and on the San Feliz River near its mouth. 

 Like the preceding species the thickets of low shrubs and bushes 

 bordering heavy timber were its favorite haunts. I found it very 

 wary and difficult to approach. A young male just completing the 

 moult in assuming the plumage of the adult male, shows many ochra- 

 ceous buff feathers on the belly mixed with the new chestnut ones, 

 while on the back are scattering feathers of olive brown mixed with 

 the new black ones. 



SPOROPHILA GRISEA GRISEA (Gmelin). 



Loxia grisea Gm., Syst. Nat. I. 1788. p. 857. 

 Sporophila grisea Berlepsch & Hartert, p. 25. 



Native name Pico de plata comun. Common from the delta region 

 all along the middle stretches of the river to and beyond the falls of 

 Maipures on the upper river. 



Male birds in life have the eye varying in color (probably with 

 age) from a dark sepia brown to a seal brown; bill in adults, pale 



