60 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXXVI, 



February 12 to 14, when they moved ten miles further down the river to 

 Alto Bonito where, between February 16 and 23, they secured 255 birds. 

 A two-day stop (Dec. 25-26) was made at Dabeiba in returning to Medellin. 



Only two stations now remained to be visited; Malena near Puerto 

 Berrio, selected by Miller as a favorable point on his way into Medellin, 

 and La Playa, near Barranquilla. One hundred birds were taken at the 

 first-named place March 9-11; and one hundred and five at the latter, 

 March 23-26. 



Description of Route and' Collecting Stations. — The following notes are 

 supplied by Mr. Miller: 



La Playa: — "At La Playa, a few miles from Barranquilla, one enters a 

 typical stretch of the Arid Coastal Zone. The country is level or gently 

 undulating, sandy, and covered with a sparse growth of cacti and thorny 

 shrubs. Toward the river vast shallow salt lakes, swamps and mangrove 

 thickets abound. 



" I was greatly surprised to find that the dry, sand-dune country con- 

 tained an abundant and varied bird-life, while the green mangrove jungles 

 were practically uninhabited. In the lagoons. Pelicans, Black Jacanas, 

 Herons, Sandpipers and Anhingas are very abundant, and Terns occasion- 

 ally pay them a visit. 



" In the dry brush, large Wrens, SynaUaxis, Pigmy Owls, Mockingbirds, 

 Thamnophilus, Ground Doves, Sycalis, Orioles and Honey Creepers (sugar 

 birds) form the characteristic avifauna; and occasionally one meets Buccos, 

 Piculets, Woodpeckers and Herons, Parrots and Parrakeets. Many of 

 the bushes are loaded with bulky nests; but they are well protected by the 

 thorny branches, in spite of the fact that they are most conspicuous. One 

 visit was made at the end of the breeding season, though some species were 

 still with eggs and small young (March 23-26.) " 



Malena: — " The first stop on the railway fine- beyond Puerto Berrio is 

 the village called Malena, and as the locality appeared to offer ideal facili- 

 ties for collecting, the expedition moved to that point March 10th and spent 

 four days collecting in the surrounding forest. 



Malena contains perhaps forty huts, and is situated in the heart of the 

 immense Magdalena forest. The forest is high consisting mainly of giant 

 ceibas, with comparatively little undergrowth; the tagua palm is abundant. 

 There is also an abundance of bamboo. 



" Bird-life fairly teems along the edge of the forest, but in the woods 

 there is little life except clouds of mosquitoes. 



" During our visit there was but little rain and everything was dry. 

 Birds seemed to adher.e to the banks of the small streams and, with few ex- 

 ceptions, did not band together in flocks." 



