360 PHELPS, Birds observed in Venezuela. on 
the last time, as it cannot exist at any great distance from the 
sea. Almost completely enclosing this valley are hills and 
mountains, rising to a height of several thousand feet. These 
present a peculiar appearance as many of them are completely 
clothed by long grass with no traces of forest. Others are heavily 
wooded even to their summits. Cumanacoa being at an altitude 
of about rooo feet has an agreeable climate. The nights are cool 
enough to make a blanket desirable while the heat is not Spee res 
sive during the day. 
As might be expected, many of the birds inhabiting the coastal 
scrub were here absent. Many species were also found here 
which were not met with south of the watershed of the Caribbean 
and Gulf of Parian waters. This height of land lies about fifteen 
miles south of Cumanacoa. My stay in this locality was two 
weeks, from June 29 to July 12. 
San Antonio. — Beyond. the watershed to the southeast, the 
same distance from Cumanacoa as the latter is from Cumana, is 
San Antonio. Instead of a broad, flat valley planted with cane, 
there is a small village nestled in a narrow valley with mountains 
rising precipitously on both sides. A rapid stream flows on its 
way to the Gulf of Paria instead of to the Caribbean Sea. The 
sides of the mountains are planted with coffee, the chief wealth of 
the region. A few miles to the west is Mt. Turumiquire, the 
highest peak in this group of mountains. San Antonio itself is 
somewhat higher than Cumanacoa, probably about 1500 feet. 
The avifauna, although quite similar to that of Cumanacoa, 
seems to have a strong infusion of species from the south; from 
the Orinoco lowlands. These have followed up the Guarapiche 
River, but go no further north than its headwaters. As would be 
expected, the number of species peculiar to this southern water- 
shed is much greater than the number found in Cumanacoa and 
not in San Antonio. My stay in San Antonio was twenty days, 
from July 14 to August 2 
Guanaguana and Caripe.— From San Antonio I took a trip of 
five days, August 3-7, to these towns, which lie to the southeast 
and east. The special object of this trip was to visit the famous 
Guacharo cave of Humboldt, where that traveller discovered the 
remarkable bird Steatornis caripfensis. Thus I reached the same 
a 
Beene =. 
