1909] Beebe: Birds of Northeastern Venezuela. 91 



Melanerpes terricolor (Berl.). Earth-colored Woodpecker. 



These birds were not uncommon along the middle and upper 

 Guarapiche, calling noisily from the trees on the banks. I se- 

 cured a female at La Ceiba on March 29th. A male of this 

 species with a large part of the crown and nape scarlet, spent 

 much of his time outside of our window at Guanoco, feeding on 

 the pith of guavas. The bird would cling to one of the fruits and 

 excavate it until he ate through his support, when both the fruit 

 and the bird would fall, the latter freeing himself, and with a 

 graceful curve swooping upward to a branch. Here he would 

 clean his bill and feet and soon commence on another fruit. If 

 frightened the bird would remain away but a few minutes, so 

 fond was he of this delicacy. 



Dendrobates kirki (Mahl.). Red-and-green Woodpecker. 



Several of these were observed and two secured. They 

 were identical with individuals observed in Trinidad, where the 

 bird is shot on sight owing to its devastation among the cocoa 

 pods. The reiterated call is shrill and ventriloquil. 



Celeus elegans (Mull.). Yellow-crested Cocoa Woodpecker. 



On March 30th six of these birds flew into a tree over the 

 sloop in the early morning. Later we found them common at 

 Guanoco and along the railroad track. A female which I shot 

 had been eating the seeds of a species of orchid. 



In Trinidad a bounty is offered for these birds as they are 

 very destructive on the cocoa plantations, boring into the unripe 

 pods and drinking the milk. 



Celeus jumana (Spix.). Brown-crested Cocoa Woodpecker. 



Several were seen and one secured on the Caiio Guanoco on 

 April 2nd. Apparently much rarer than the former species, as 

 no others were seen. 



Crocomorphus semicinnamomeus (Reichenb.). Yellow 

 Woodpecker. 



We first saw these striking, bright yellow birds in the Cano 

 Guanoco. When flying in the sun with the characteristic loop- 

 ing woodpecker flight, they were very conspicuous, shining 

 brightly against the dark foliage. But when clinging to a trunk 

 they merged perfectly with the patches of lichen and sunlight. 

 At Guanoco they were not uncommon, drumming loudly on the 

 trees near the house. They were not wary and I succeeded in 

 getting an excellent photograph of one. These woodpeckers ex- 



