FAMILY FORMICARIIDAE I5I 



separation in a distinct genus. The bird is peculiar, possibly a relict 

 of an older group from which some of the more widespread ant- 

 shrikes may have had their origin. The loose external webbing of 

 the feathers may be seen on close examination. The rectrices appear 

 loosely attached so that one or more usually are missing in museum 

 specimens, a circumstance that deceived Dr. Chapman into citing 

 10 instead of 12 as the number in the single specimen from which he 

 described the species. 



THAMNISTES ANABATINUS Sclater and Salvin: Russet 

 Ant-shrike, Hormiguero Bermejon 



Thamnistes anabatinus Sclater and Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 28, 

 August 1860, p. 299. (Verapaz, Guatemala.) 



Small, with strong, heavy bill ; above reddish brown ; f oreneck and 

 breast buff ; rest of under surface gray. 



Description. — Bill large, stout ; maxilla strongly hooked ; nostril 

 very small, round, exposed. Adult male, upper surface and line 

 through eye tawny brown, slightly darker on the crown, with fore- 

 head paler ; wings, upper tail coverts, and tail cinnamon-rufous ; 

 concealed bases of feathers of middle of back ochraceous-bufif with a 

 subterminal bar black, the bright color wholly concealed ; superciliary 

 and auricular region dull buff ; f oreneck and breast, and in some 

 the upper abdomen buff to cinnamon-buff ; lower abdomen and flanks 

 grayish buff to olive-buff ; under tail coverts basally cinnamon-buff, 

 grayish externally, tipped indistinctly with grayish white ; under 

 wing coverts and inner margins of primaries and secondaries cinna- 

 mon-buff. 



Adult female, without concealed cinnamon-buff patch on middle of 

 back ; otherwise like male. 



These ant-shrikes often range with mixed flocks of smaller forest 

 birds that move in loose company in the treecrown of open forest, 

 descending at times to the tops of undergrowth and tangles of vines. 

 Sometimes one was seen, sometimes a pair, male and female together. 

 Their low calls were hardly distinguishable from those of some of 

 their companions. 



The species ranges from southern Mexico through Central America, 

 and in South America from Colombia and western Venezuela to 

 Ecuador, Peru, and northern Bolivia. Two races distinguished by 

 slight differences in color are recorded in Panama. 



