CHERRIE: ORXITHOLOGY OF THE ORINOCO REGION. 187 
Xot common along the Orinoco proper. It was observed, however, 
at Caicara and at Quiribana de Caicara, being found in the tangle of 
low shrubs that skirted the belt of heavy timber which marked the 
course of Quiribana Creek. On the San Feliz River, near its junc- 
tion with the Cuchivero this species was, however, not uncommon 
during my visit there in May of 1907. Here it frequented the same 
character of locality as that about Quiribana de Caicara. 
Young males resemble the females. One taken at Las Guacas, 
on the San Feliz River, Maj' i8th, is in transitional' plumage, just 
assuming that of the adult male. In the wrings the 9th, 8th and 5th 
primaries are new, the others are in the dusk}^ brown of the female, 
the three outermost secondaries are old succeeded by three new ones 
which are followed by a single brown quill and lastly two more new 
black quills. There are scattering black feathers on the back of the 
neck and top of the head and a few on the throat. The longest of the 
under tail-coverts are black. 
Orvzoborus .\ngolensis (Linnaeus). 
Loxia amjoleiisis L., Syst. Nat. ed. 12. L 1766. p. 303. 
Orysoborus aiigolensis Berlepsch & Hartert, p. 25. 
Native name Pico de plata, pica negro. 
Not common. Noted at Altagracia, Caicara, and Quiribana de 
Caicara along the Orinoco, and on the San Feliz River near its mouth. 
Like the preceding species the thickets of low shrubs and bushes 
bordering heavy timber were its favorite haunts. I found it very 
wary and difficult to approach. A young male just completing the 
moult in assuming the plumage of the adult male, shows many ochra- 
ceous buff feathers on the belly mixed with the new chestnut ones, 
while on the back are scattering feathers of olive brown mi.xed with 
the new^ black ones. 
Sporophil.-^ grisea grisea (Gmelin). 
Lo.via grisea Gm., Syst. Nat. L 1788. p. 857. 
Sporophila grisea Berlepsch & Hartert, p. 25. 
Native name Pico de plata conum. Common from the delta region 
all along the middle stretches of the river to and beyond the falls of 
Maipures on the upper river. 
Male birds in life have the eye varying in color (probably with 
agej from a dark sepia brown to a seal brown; bill in adults, pale 
