FAMILY DENDROCOLAPTIDAE 47 



January and February 1958. The bird has not been reported east of 

 Almirante Bay. 



In Costa Rica. Skutch (Pac. Coast Avif. no. 35, 1969, pp. 374- 

 384) found these birds sleeping singly in natural cavities, often where 

 the entrance was so located that it gave little shelter from rain. They 

 entered late when evening light was dim. and were abroad at dawn, 

 among the earliest birds to become active. Nests were placed in 

 similar cavities, apparently in preference to abandoned holes of 

 woodpeckers. For nest material male and female brought loose flakes 

 of bark, continuing to add bits as incubation proceeded. Also oc- 

 casionally they carried away a piece when they left the nest for any 

 reason. The two share in incubation but only one, presumed to be 

 the female, remained in the nest during the night. 



Two white eggs, without markings, made the set, examined only by 

 means of a mirror, due to the type and location of the nest cavity. 



LEPIDOCOLAPTES SOULEYETII LINEATICEPS (Lafresnaye) 



Picolaptes lineaticeps Lafresnaye, Rev. et Mag. Zool., vol. 2, May 1850, p. 277. 

 (Type locality not indicated.) 



Characters. — Light streaks on lower surface, crown and hindneck 

 narrower, less prominent ; light streaking on upper back much re- 

 duced, in some absent ; throat pale cinnamon-buff. 



A female, collected at La Jagua, Panama, January 12, 1962, had 

 the iris dark wood-brown ; maxilla and tip of mandible dark mouse 

 brown ; rest of mandible dull brownish white ; tarsus and toes dull 

 greenish gray ; claws dark neutral gray. Another female from Canita, 

 Panama. February 8. 1962, had the iris wood-brown ; the bare center 

 of the eyelids dull grayish white ; the rest of the bare area blackish 

 brown ; base of maxilla dull grayish brown ; rest of bill light brown ; 

 tarsus and toes dull greenish gray ; claws dull neutral gray. 



Measurements. — Males (17 from Canal Zone, Panama, and 

 Darien), wing 85.8-97.5 (92.3), tail 68.0-82.5 (74.9), culmen from 

 base 26.2-31.0 (28.7), tarsus 18.0-19.5 (18.8) mm. 



Females (11 from Canal Zone, Panama, and Darien), wing 85.8- 

 95.2 (88.0), tail 68.4-76.2 (72.2), culmen from base 25.8-29.3 

 (27.5), tarsus 18.2-19.2 (18.7) mm. 



Resident. Locally fairly common in the lowlands on both Pacific 

 and Caribbean slopes from the Canal Zone through Darien and San 

 Bias to Colombia ; to 600 meters elevation on Cerro Pirre. 



This race is more widely distributed and more common than the 

 western L. s. comprcssiis as suitable habitat for it is much more ex- 



