CHERRIE: ORNITHOLOGY OF THE ORINOCO REGION. 237 



Only observed on the upper river where specimens were collected 

 at Maipures and Nericagua from December to March. Klages and 

 Andre sent specimens to the Tring Museum from the Caura River. 



RHYNCHOCYCLUS FLAVIVENTRIS FLAVIVENTRIS (Wied). 



M[uscipeta] flaviventris Wied, Beitr. Naturg. Bras. III. 1831. p. 929. 

 Rhynchocyclus flaviventer (nee. Spix) Berlepsch & Hartert, p. 46. 



Common, frequenting the edges of heavy timber land and the 

 larger, denser areas of woodland that here and there dot the savan- 

 nas. 



In life the eye is drab brown; bill black above, pale flesh color below ; 

 feet slate color. 



The nesting season in the middle Orinoco region extends from 

 the last of April to the end of July. The nest is suspended from the 

 extreme tip of some slender branch hanging from the limb of a tree or 

 low bush, occasionally hanging within 15.24 cm. of the ground and 

 rarely over 1.52 m. up. A nest taken at Caicara, June loth, was sus- 

 pended at the extreme tip of a slender twig, about 1.52 m. up and 

 hanging directly over a forest path that was much frequented by cat- 

 tle. It is pouch-shaped, or perhaps better described as retort shaped, 

 (especially the interior cavity), about 20 cm. in length and 8 or 9 

 cm. in diameter at the bottom or bulbous portion. It is sus- 

 pended by being tightly tied about the tip of the supporting twig. 

 The entrance, which is from below, is a tube about 6 cm. in 

 diameter, which hangs 10 cm. below the bottom of the nest proper. 

 The materials used are soft, fine dry grasses and vegetable fibres ; the 

 whole neat and trim in appearance. A nest taken May 5th is less 

 trim in appearance and the entrance tube hangs about 20 cm. beiow 

 the bottom of the nest and is carried out at an angle of 30 from the 

 perpendicular. Also on the opposite side of the nest from the en- 

 trance tube there hangs a bunch of dead grass making the outlines of 

 the hanging nest that of an inverted V with the apex solid. 



The eggs, two or three (usually the latter number) constituting 

 a set, vary in form from ovate to short ovate. In color they are 

 creamy white speckled about the larger end with rufous brown spots 

 and dots and some grayish or lavender underlying spots. A dozen 

 eggs representing six sets average 19.9x13.5 mm. The smallest is 

 18.25 x I 3- 2 5 m m - and the largest 21 x 14.2 mm. 



