FAMILY RALLIDAE 353 



60 specimens that I have handled. It should be added that in extreme 

 examples the cinnamon color extends up over the abdomen, so that 

 it appears to be a tendency toward a rufescent phase rather than an 

 indication of close relationship with the other species. 



LATERALLUS ALBIGULARIS ALBIGULARIS (Lawrence) 



Corethrura albigularis Lawrence, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, vol. 7, 1861, 

 p. 302. (Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama, along the line of the Panama 

 Railroad.) 



Characters. — Top of head reddish brown ; side of head similar, or, 

 in some, brighter brown. 



Measurements. — Males (14 from Panama), wing 73.3-81.1 (76.4), 

 culmen from base 17.7-20 (19.2, average of 13), tarsus 27.8-32.3 

 (30.9) mm. 



Females (12 from Panama), wing 71.0-77.4 (74.2), culmen from 

 base 16.5-18.6 (17.9), tarsus 29.0-31.2 (29.7) mm. 



The length of the tail is omitted, as this measurement cannot be 

 made with accuracy. 



Resident. Tropical zone, locally common ; on the Pacific slope from 

 Costa Rica eastward through Darien; ascending in Chiriqui from 

 sea level to 1,250 meters near El Volcan ; recorded also from Boquete; 

 in Code taken at El Valle (600 meters) ; and in Darien from sea 

 level to 600 meters elevation near Cana ; on the Caribbean side found 

 from western Col6n east to the Colombian boundary ; Isla Coiba. 



These rails are especially common around Gatun Lake and along 

 the Rio Chagres from Gamboa to the bridge on the Trans-Isthmian 

 Highway. I found them present in numbers around Mandinga in 

 the San Bias, where they ranged from marshy spots for some distance 

 out into high grass in open clearings, especially in early morning. In 

 Darien specimens were taken by Festa at the Laguna de Pita, and 

 by W. B. Richardson at El Real. In 1912 Goldman found them 

 abundant around swampy places in the level valley at Cana and 

 collected several. Benson secured others here in 1928. Soon after 

 that date the mines of that area were closed and the whole region 

 was abandoned. In January 1961 I found that the valley was again 

 heavily forested, and so the only rail habitat was in small marshy 

 areas. 



On Isla Coiba, there were a few pairs around a small lagoon back 

 of Catival, and others in a marshy spot nearer the sea, both areas in 

 the drainage of the Rio San Juan. The three taken do not differ from 

 birds of the mainland. 



