FAMILY FORMICARIIDAE 197 



1911, I identified remains of more than 25 ants of three species, bits 

 of a locustid, and part of an earwig. 



The nest and eggs appear to be unknown. 



In early records male and female were regarded as separate species, 

 and there was confusion early also over the name. Lawrence (Ann. 

 Lye. Nat. Hist. New York. 1862, p. 293), who received a female 

 from McLeannan, was uncertain as to its identity and listed it first 

 with a query as Pithys rufigidaris Boddaert. When he sent the speci- 

 men to Sclater in London for check, the latter replied that it was 

 unknown to him, and considered it to be a species of Myrmecisa. 

 Lawrence then (idem, p. 470) described it as new under the name 

 Mynneciza ferrnginea. Sclater and Salvin (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 

 1864, pp. 356-357) on further study, referred it properly to the 

 female of Gymnocichla nudiceps, named by Cassin in 1850. 



In the meanwhile, in the Ibis for 1863, Lawrence had named a male 

 specimen forwarded by McLeannan Myrmelastes corvinus. Salvin 

 and Godman (Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, vol. 2, 1892, p. 226) in 

 their study of the family decided that a bird described in 1855 by 

 Gould as Thamnophilus corvinus was properly a species of the genus 

 Myrmelastes. As this then antedated Lawrence's name, they re- 

 placed the latter by Myrmelastes lawrencii. When Bangs received a 

 male collected by W. W. Brown, Jr., at Lion Hill in what is now the 

 Canal Zone, he regarded M. lawrencii as applying to the bird of 

 Nicaragua and Chiriqui, overlooking the fact that Lawrence's original 

 specimen came also from the region of Lion Hill. Bangs then 

 named the Lion Hill bird Myrmelastes ceterus. 



The oldest name as noted above is Myiothera nudiceps proposed 

 by Cassin, who in the description wrote "Hab. — Panama ; discovered 

 by Mr. John G. Bell." Cassin cites Bell's observations which end 

 as follows : "These birds kept on the ground, running and scratching 

 among the leaves ... It was represented to me as a very rare bird 

 by several residents at Panama." It seems appropriate from this to 

 cite the type locality as near Panama City. 



MYRMECIZA LONGIPES PANAMENSIS Ridgway: White-bellied 

 Ant-bird, Hormiguero Pechiblanco 



Myrvicciza boiicardi panamensis Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 21, 

 October 20, 1908, p. 194. (Line of Panama Railway, Canal Zone, Panama.) 



Of medium size ; terrestrial, usually located through its steadily 

 repeated call ; brown above, male with throat and breast black ; fe- 

 male with these areas cinnamon-brown. 



Description. — Length 135-150 mm. Adult male, crown, hindneck, 



