VENTURA BARNES, JR. 
CURATOR, PHELPS ORNITHOLOGICAL COLLECTION 
CARACAS VENEZUELA. -2- 
v 
The collection of birds from the upper zone in the Perija 
Mountains is most wonderfull. Already I have found many new records for Venezuela 
\ of Colombian birds which were never before recorded for this country* One of the birds 
which I like the most is a Virelanidae, SMARAGDOLANIUS PULCHELLUS EXIMIUS of which 
only one skin is known from the old ’’Bogota skins” as as it is so far away from the 
type locality I suspect will have probabilities of being a new race* I have not 
finished yet with the identification of this large collection and hope some other 
novelties will show out as I advance in my work. 
The Sierra de San Luis, south of Coro turned out to have almost 
the same bird life as the north central portion have or better the Cordillera de la 
Costa with the exception of a very small number of species and races* Among the birds 
of that collection one is another novelty which I think is a new race, it a Tanager, 
CHLOROSPINGUS OPHTHALMICUS SDBSP*. it shows marked differences when compared with 
skins from the Caracas race jacqueti and with the Merida race, venezuelensis* I hope 
it to be new and the San Luis trip will be worth it. 
Now I have to give you before I close the best new I have in the 
year, I am the proud father of a boy, he was born on April 22 and both mother and 
child are feeling very well. I got a cable from Mrs.Barnes anouncing the birth of my 
child. I am going back to Puerto Rico as soon as I finish this work here in Caracas 
and I am anxious to finish it already so that I can go to see my boy as soon as posi- 
ble, . 
My family as well as Mrs.Barnes’ want me to ptay in Puerto Rico 
and not to come any more to Venezuela with the pretext that I am the father of a boy 
of whom good care should have been taken and many other things. Yet I don’t know 
what to do, I will study the field down there and will think very much my decision. 
Please let keep this between you and me only and I will let you now on time any de¬ 
cision I will take because I wish to have your opinion before I will give a step. 
With my best regards and hoping to here from you soon and that 
the Eighth American Scientific Congress will be one of the greatest scientific 
achivements of the year I remain, 
Ventura Barnes, Jr. 
_ 
