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Show 1869.] ON VENEZUELAN BIROS. 251 excursions from San Esteban, near Puerto Cabello, where he has been lately resident. The collection contains altogether fifty-six species of birds, most of which are already well known as inhabitants of this part of the continent of South America. There are, however, several of great interest among them, and one in particular, a new species of Jacamar, which appears to have been hitherto undescribed. The following extracts from a letter recently received from Mr. Goering will give the Society some information concerning the localities which he has lately explored, and the route which he is now intending to follow :- " The Lake of Valencia seems to be a station for birds which come from the llanos and from the river-districts of the south of Venezuela. When the swamps and the llanos are dry, thousands of birds resort to it. There is, however, great difficulty in obtaining a boat for the purpose of shooting, nearly all of them having been demolished during the recent revolution. The mountains on the south of the lake (the Serro Azul of Guiguc) are tenanted by the same birds as the coast-range ; but the vegetation is not so rank, and the species of small size appear to be less numerous. San Esteban is situated about six English miles inland from Puerto Cabello, in a valley, through which runs a small river. Most of the birds obtained here are different from those found in eastern Venezuela, where my first collections were formed. It is singular that Cardinalis phceniceus, so common near Carupano, is very rare here. I have never seen this bird on the hills, but only on the plains near the coast, which are covered with a simple vegetation of Mimosa, Cactus, &c. The Chasmorhynchus variegatus is common here, but only during the months of April and May. It is also abundant in the forests of Caripe; and this spot seems to be nearly the extreme limit of its western range. " Speaking of Caripe, I may mention that the Steatornis is not only found in the well-known cave near that city, visited bv Humboldt, but also inhabits several other caverns in the forests situated to the south-east. I visited three of these, and found one of them much larger than the cave of Caripe. It was eight English miles in extent, and every part of it seemed to be inhabited by thousands of this wonderful bird. It is very impressive when, at sunset, thev leave their subterranean abodes, and make the forest resound with their shrill cries." Mr. Goering contemplates moving his quarters into the Sierra Nevada of Merida, to which district he will proceed by Maracaibo and Zulier. The following is a list of the species contained in Mr. Goering's present collection, to which are added notes upon such of them as call for remark :- Name. Locality. 1. Donacobius atricapillus Lake of Valencia. 2. Henicocichla novchm-acensis Mararia, north of the lake. 3. Dendrceca eestiva S. side of the Lake of Valencia. |