114 J. Delacowr—Notes of a Bird-lover in Venezuela


attracting special attention. In the vicinity of a small pond are some

large Egret.


Vast coffee and sugar-cane plantations are situated in the valley

in the neighbourhood of the town. In the coffee plantations are some

very large trees, chiefly the evergreen Erythrina, which harbours many

birds—Hang-nests, Trogons, Tyrants, Tanagers, Quit-quits, and on the

paths which border the plantations may be seen Anis, Mocking Birds,

Troupials, Sugar Birds, and Humming Birds.


On ascending the neighbouring hills we find many kinds of

Humming Birds ( Phactornis , Saucerottea, Chlorostebin, Agyrtria),

yellow and red Tarn is (?), and Tanagers in great abundance. From the

trees re-echo the blows of the small Woodpecker, whilst a few Cardinals

are to be observed flying to and fro. It is, however, to the wooded

ravines, where there is always water in the form of small streams,

that one has to go if one wants to observe the beautiful Callisle and

other sumptuous Tanagers, the Sugar Birds and the Quit-quits, a fact

well known to the bird-catchers of Caracas, for it is there that they set

their snares. I take one of these bird-catchers into my service,

and reap a rich and interesting harvest. Callisle arthuri, C. cyanoptera ,

C. airicapilla, C. guttata, C. cyanescens, Violet Tanagers, Sugar Birds

with blue heads, and a magnificent Tanagra olivicyanea are caught as

a result of our efforts with lime twigs and traps.


In spite of the splendour of their plumage, these beautiful birds,

with their brilliant yellow, blue, and green colours, are rather hard to

see when in the branches, where they incessantly pursue one another,

uttering shrill cries. But what a feast for the eyes, and what excitement

when one sees them flv down, approach the trap, and get caught. In

these wooded localities one comes across other, less showy birds, as,

for example, Cuckoos, Dendrocolaptes, and Ant Birds. Now and again

some rapacious bird, a Caracara or Chima-chima, flies by, but as a rule

without doing any harm. Everywhere horrible black Vultures are to

be observed soaring about with astounding ease.


The town of Caracas itself is full of interest for the ornithologist.

Cages are suspended in front of many windows and shops. If we expect

to spot rarities we are doomed to disappointment, as the majority only

contain Canaries. A few, however, may sometimes contain Mocking



