82 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Society. [I; 3 



Their voice is very ventriloquil and it is often difficult to 

 locate the little gray or red author; for both phases of plumage 

 are found, although the gray birds are far more numerous. 



We flushed one red bird which flew by closely pursued, and 

 actually pecked, by two kiskadees, a blue tanager and a hum- 

 mingbird. When it alighted it "froze" in characteristic owl 

 fashion and its pursuers disappeared. 



Acting on this hint we utilized the whistled coo-coo-coo-coo 

 to draw birds out of impenetrable thickets, and found it invalu- 

 able. Sometimes a dozen species of small birds would exhibit 

 their hatred and fear of this diminutive raptor by appearing at 

 once with angry cries. 



(We saw no other species of owl, but several times we heard 

 a screech owl and occasionally the deep hooting of a Ciccaba 

 or Bubo would come from the depths of the high land jungle.) 



Order PSITTACIFORMES. 



Ara ararauna CLinii.) . Blue-and-yellow Macaw. 



On March 29th at La Ceiba on the Rio Guarapiche we saw 

 a single pair of these birds, perched in the top of a dead stub. 

 They watched us on our sloop for a half hour, swinging upside 

 down and shrieking their curiosity, their brilliant under parts 

 glowing in the sunlight. At last they flew away close together, 

 westward, high above the mangroves. 



Ara macao (Lmn.) . Red-and-blue Macaw. 



This was first seen March 27th on the Rio Guarapiche below 

 Cano Colorado, and one or two pairs of these birds were seen 

 or heard almost every day on the Caiio Guanoco and along the 

 railroad tracks near La Brea. 



Ara macavuana (Gmel.). Red-bellied Macaw. 



While in the Rio Guarapiche, some Indians brought two 

 young macaws to the sloop. They could not fly, and had appa- 

 rently just been taken from the nest. The Indians would give no 

 information concerning them, except that they had been obtained 

 a short distance away, near the river. They were clad in dull 

 brown-black feathers, and not until they reached New York did 

 they acquire the adult plumage, proving to be of this species. 



Conurus aeruginosus (Linn.). Brown-throated Parrakeet. 



On April 2nd we saw large flocks of these parrakeets, and in 

 the high land jungle, and at La Brea we heard their shrill, rau- 



