BIRDS OP NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 7 



SCYTALOPUS ARGENTIFRONS Ridgway. 



SILVERY-FRONTED SCYTALOPUS. 



Adult male.- — Forehead and superciliary region silvery gray (no. 6 

 or no. 7 gray"); rest of upper parts plain sooty black, the feathers 

 of rump tipped, more or less distinctly, with dark rusty brown or 

 chestnut; sides of head, anterior portion of forehead, chin, throat, 

 and chest plain deep slate color or blackish slate, the color usually 

 darker around eye (especially between eye and the silvery gray of 

 superciliary region) ; slate color of chest gradually changing to paler, 

 or slate-gray, on breast, this into light silvery gray (sometimes 

 tinged with fulvous) on abdomen; sides rather darker slate color 

 than best; flanks, anal region, and under tail-coverts sooty black, 

 the leathers conspicuously tipped or terminally margined with deep 

 rusty brown or russet; maxilla brownish black, mandible more 

 brownish; legs and feet deep horn brownish (in dried skins) ; length 

 (skins), 102-114 (107.5); wing, 51.5-54 (52.9); tail, 34.5-40 (35.8); 

 culmen, 11-12 (11.6); tarsus, 20-21 (20.8); middle toe, 16.5-17.5 

 (17.1).^ 



Adult female. — Similar to the adult male but gray U-shaped 

 frontal and superciliary mark obsolete or entirely wanting; 

 feathers of all the upper parts broadly but indistinctly margined 

 with dark brown; gray of under parts confined to chin, throat, and 

 chest, the whole sides, flanks and under tail-coverts very broadly 

 margined with russet, changing to buffy cinnamon on abdomen; 

 bifl, etc., as in adult male, but mandible lighter brownish; 

 length (skins), 109-112 (110.5); wing, 50-52 (50.8); tail, 40-41.5 

 (40.7); culmen, 10.5-11.5 (11); tarsus, 19.5-21 (20.3); middle toe, 

 16.5-17.5 (17).'= 



High mountams of Costa Rica (Volcan de Irazu; Volcan de Poas; 

 Coliblanco) and western Panama (Boquete; Volcan de Chiriqui). 



Scytalopus argentifrons Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xiv, no. 869, Oct. 31, 

 1891, 475 (Volcan de Irazii, Costa Rica; coll. U. S. Nat. Mus.); xvi, 1893, 613 

 (additional specimens described). — Salvin and Godman, [Biol. Centr.-Am., 

 Aves, ii, 1892, 246.— Bangs, Proc. New Engl. Zool. Club, iii, 1902, 48 (Boquete 

 and Volcdn de Chiriqui,, PananiA, 5,000-7,000 ft.).— Carriker, Ann. Car- 

 negie Mus., vi, 1910, 594 (Ujurras de Terraba, Volcan de Irazu, La Estrella 

 de Cartago, and Volcan de Turrialba, Costa Rica; crit.; habits).— Ferry, 

 Pub. 146, Field Mus. N. H., orn. ser., i, no. 6, 1910, 271 (Coliblanco, Costa 

 Rica). 



[Sqiialopiis] argentifrons Sharpe, Hand-list, iii, 1901, 5. 



a Ridgway 's Nomenclature of Colors (ed. 1886,) plate 2. 



6 Five specimens from Costa Rica. An adult male from Boquete, Panama, meaa- 

 lu-es: Wing, 51.5; tail, 40; tarsus, 20.5; middle toe, 17. 

 c Three specimens, from the Volcan de Irazu, Costa Rica. 



