550 Recently published Ornithological Works. 
describes at full length, and illustrates by a series of photo¬ 
graphic figures. He concludes his article with a useful list 
of authorities, amongst which will be found the names of 
Huxley, Parker, and Garrod. The exact distribution of this 
reptilian Bird (as it has been appropriately termed), so far 
as it is known, is clearly shown in a map (p. 49). 
5,2. Beebe’s Ornithological Reconnaissance in Venezuela. 
[An Ornithological Reconnaissance of North-eastern Venezuela. By 
0. William Beebe. Zoologica, vol, i. No. 3. New York, 1909.] 
In February 1908 Mr. and Mrs, Beebe left New York for 
Trinidad, and proceeded thence across the Gulf of Paria to 
the opposite coast of Venezuela. Here they disembarked 
at Guanco, the shipping port for the products of the great 
pitch-lake of La Brea, Mr. Beebe describes the large 
mangrove-forest which borders the Venezuelan coast and 
the peculiar characters of its flora and fauna, and gives us 
a corresponding account of the upland forest and the 
country round the pitch-lake. After twenty days of diligent 
collecting in these two districts, Mr. and Mrs. Beebe re¬ 
turned to New York with their spoils. 
The classified list of the birds observed on this occasion 
contains for the most part the names of well-known species, 
and on many of them interesting field-notes are given. The 
great Tinamou ( Tinamus tao) was detected breeding and 
its shining blue eggs were obtained. The nest of an Amazon 
Parrot was discovered. The remarkable calls of Nyctibius 
jamaicensis and Taper a (scr. Diplopterus ) ncevia were noted. 
The tunnel-nest formed by a Jacamar ( Galbula ruficaudd) 
was explored and its eggs taken. The curious companionship 
of the colonies of the Yellow-backed Cassique ( Cacicus 
persicus) with venomous wasps is described at full length. 
Similar instances of the “ communal guardianship 99 are well 
known, but the subject is one of intense interest. 
During their short stay of twenty days in the mangrove- 
swamps and coastal forest 138 species of birds were identified, 
and of these 22 were found breeding. This was not bad 
work in a tropical country. 
