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



bird then and there! The bird ruffled its feathers and called 

 twice before flying away. 



I secured a male in full breeding condition, and found its 

 stomach crammed with large horned scarab beetles. The pupil 

 of this bird is enormous, in fact the iris is only just visible as 

 a narrow, pale orange ring. The fundus oculi on close examina- 

 tion, show as pale pink, slightly clouded with gray. The pecten 

 is of relatively medium size, and very simple. In shape it is a 

 compressed cone with a* flaring base ; the rim and a bar down 

 the center thickened and slightly lighter in color. The white 

 disk of the optic nerve is wide, and visible all the way around 

 the pecten, while the lamina cribrosa, represented by many 

 minute dots, are confined to the inner portion of the disks. 

 Little or no trace of radiating nerve fibers are visible, these be- 

 ing apparently entirely free from the neurilemma, and thus 

 transparent. (Figs. 31 and 32.) 



Nyctidromus albicollis (Gmel.). White-necked Parauque. 



Not uncommon at Guanoco until April 9th, after which none 

 were seen or heard. The call may be best represented by the 

 syllables tvha-ahee-o! This is usually uttered but once, and is 

 then answered from a distance by another bird. 



Claudia squamata (Cass.). Fork-tailed Palm Swift. 



A flock of these birds could always be seen hawking in the 

 clearing about our house in Guanoco. A smaller number were 

 seen at La Brea. They are very swallow-like in appearance and 

 flight. 



(Hummingbirds abundant and at least eight species were 

 observed, but only four specimens were collected.) 



Thalurania furcata fissilis Berl. and Hart. Venezuelan Blue- 

 collared Hummingbird. 



Common about the house at Guanoco. Several times this 

 species flew into our room, and was unable to find its way out 

 again. These birds would snatch small spiders from their webs 

 in the corners of the walls. They were breeding at this season. 



Eucephala caerulea (Vieill.) . The Lesser Sapphire. 



Heliothrix auritus (Gmel.). Black-eared Hummingbird. 



Both species were common among the flowering shrubs and 

 trees along the railroad track near Guanoco. These birds and 

 many other species haunted the heliconia water cups, in which 



