12 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 3 



On March 10, 1951, I collected one at 850 meters elevation on the 

 south face of Cerro Campana, the highest report to date in mountain 

 areas. The type specimen in the British Museum, formerly in the 

 collection of P. L. Sclater was "obtained near the city of Panama 

 by the late Mr. William Thomas Hodgetts Chambers-Hodgetts 

 (formerly Chambers) during a temporary visit to the isthmus." 

 The species seems to have been rare in the general area as the only 

 other records are of two brought to Lieutenant-Colonel F. S. 

 Blanton by collectors of the Malaria Control Service, taken in 1955 

 on August 8 near Cocoli and November 29 on the New Empire Road, 

 west of the Canal. From the Cerro Azul eastward the bird has been 

 more numerous. E. A. Goldman in 1911 secured one west of Chepo 

 on March 20 and two at 100 meters elevation on the south base of 

 Cerro Azul on March 20 and 28. I found two in the same area in 

 1949 at Utive on April 22 and 25, and near Chepo from April 16 

 to 24. Two in the Havemeyer collection at Yale were taken at 

 Puerto San Antonio on the Rio Bayano on February 22 and 27, 

 1927. At the base of Cerro Qiucanti and along the Rio Maje in 

 March 1950, they were common mainly low down, but one was col- 

 lected at over 500 meters. Farther west in Darien they appear to be 

 rare. Thomas Barbour collected one on the lower slopes of Cerro 

 Sapo on April 21, 1922. And on March 31, 1959, I secured one near 

 where the Rio Tuquesa joins the Chucunaque. 



As has been stated, these are forest birds of retiring habit, seen 

 most often in company with raiding ant swarms, usually singly or at 

 most only two or three among the other ant-birds. They may fly 

 out actively above the forest floor if small insects are flushing. But 

 more often are observed climbing quietly or clinging rather low 

 down on tree trunks. When disturbed they retreat rapidly to other 

 resting places and there remain hidden. In the savanna area between 

 the Rio Pacora and the lower Rio Bayano below Chepo I was 

 interested to find a few ranging singly through open forest. They 

 are easily overlooked in such coverts, as it is more usual to locate 

 them when attracted by moving ant columns. Occasionally I saw 

 one in company with the more abundant Dendrocincla fuliginosa, 

 both ranging amicably without apparent competition. 



Beyond Darien they continue in northern Choco, in the lower 

 valley of the Atrato, northwestern Colombia. 



