68 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



Elcenia gaimardii macilvainii, Pheugopedius fasciatoventris fasciato- 

 ventris, Heleodytes nuchalis, Heleodytes curvirostris, Ateleodacnis 

 leucogenys. Icterus mesomelas carrikeri, and Cacicus vitelUnus. 

 Most of the above are forest species, but there are considerable areas 

 of marshy ground in this section also, yielding such forms as Ixobr$- 

 chus erythromelas, Phimosus berlepschi, Creciscus albigularis, Belonop- 

 terus cayennensis cayennensis, Leptoxyura cinnamomea fuscifrons, 

 Arundinicola leucocephala, and Agelaius icferocephalus icterocephalus. 



The coast region in the immediate vicinity of Santa Marta, com- 

 prising the northwest corner of the general region, east as far at 

 least as Cape San Juan de Guia, is semi-arid in character, and con- 

 stitutes still another ecological area; This section has been more 

 thoroughly studied than any other part, and its avifauna is conse- 

 quently better known. Aside from a number of aquatic and rap- 

 torial species there appear to be very few forms actually confined 

 (so far as the Santa Marta region is concerned) to this section, or at 

 least unrecorded elsewhere. They are as follows : Crypturornis idoneus, 

 Eupsychortyx leucopogon littoralis, Crotophaga sulcirostris, Coccyzus 

 melacoryphus, Steatornis caripensis, and Setopagis parvula heterura. 

 Very possibly, when more is known about these particular forms, 

 they will for the most part be found to have a wider local range. 

 The avifauna in general is what might be expected to occUr in a 

 region which partakes of both arid and humid characters : it is an 

 obvious mixture of both types. Many of the most characteristic forms 

 of the Arid Tropical, as represented in Venezuela, however, are con- 

 spicuous by their absence, while some of the birds of the Humid 

 Tropical are still able to maintain themselves under the drier condi- 

 tions. The resulting assemblage of species, partaking as it does of 

 both elements, is unique for the Santa Marta region, if not also for 

 the whole northern coast of Colombia. The fauna of the littoral has 

 a tendency in this part to ascend into the foothills, following the 

 ridges to beyond the usual limit of i,ooo feet. 



Passing by for the moment the humid northern littoral, we come 

 to the arid plains of the Goajira Peninsula, which begin near the 

 town of Camarones on the north coast, and extend eastward into Ven- 

 ezuela, with an arm reaching down to the southwest in the valleys of 

 the Rio Rancheria and Rio Cesar. Here we get such characteristic 

 forms of the Arid Tropical Zone as Eupsychortyx cristatus cristdtus, 



