FAMILY FORMICARIIDAE 2O3 



the Caribbean slope of northern Code, had the iris Hght brown; 

 skin around eye, lores, forehead, and throat (partly concealed by 

 feathers) bright blue ; bill black ; tarsus, toes, and claws dusky neutral 

 gray. In a female from Gamboa, Canal Zone, January 13, 1960, 

 the iris was chestnut-brown ; skin around the eye light leaden blue ; 

 bill black ; tarsus plumbeous ; toes and claws dull neutral gray. 



Measurements. — Males (15 from Bocas del Toro to eastern 

 Colon), wing 62.6-67.3 (65.4). tail 43.3-48.2 (45.6), culmen from 

 base 20.4-22.7 (21.4), tarsus 27.7-29.5 (28.4) mm. 



Females (15 from northern Code to eastern Colon), wing 62.5- 

 66.7 (64.1), tail 41.0-46.7 (43.5), culmen from base 20.0-21.6 (20.7), 

 tarsus 27.5-29.3 (28.3) mm. 



Resident. Fairly common on the Caribbean slope from Bocas del 

 Toro eastward through northern Veraguas, northern Code, western 

 Colon, northern Canal Zone, the lower and middle Chagres Valley, 

 Panama, and eastern Colon (Portobelo, Cerro Bruja), intergrading 

 with M. e. niglariis in the upper Chagres Valley. 



To the north this race ranges in the Caribbean lowland forests 

 through Costa Rica to Nicaragua. The extensive swampy woodlands, 

 in the area where this subspecies often is found, seldom are suitable 

 for cultivation so that the bird here may be less subject to the pres- 

 sures of shrinking habitat than in other parts of its range. 



In the original description of this race P. L. Sclater indicated that 

 he named it from birds that came from Nicaragua and Panama. 

 Hellmayr (Cat. Birds Amer., Part 3, 1924. p. 262), who examined 

 the actual type specimen, collected by Delattre, in the Liverpool 

 Museum, found that it came from Panama. The route of Delattre in 

 Panama does not appear to be recorded, but since he collected in 

 Nicaragua, and later in Peru it would appear that he crossed the 

 Isthmus in his journey between Central America and northwestern 

 South America. Near Gatun, therefore, in the Chagres Valley near 

 the north coast, is a possible source for this type so that this has 

 been designated as a restricted type locality. The life history, mainly 

 of this race as found on Barro Colorado Island, has been described in 

 detail by Willis and Oniki (Condor, 1972, pp. 87-98). 



Descriptions of the nest state that it is placed a short distance 

 off the ground. Goldman's notes record one near Portobelo, Colon, 

 May 27, 1911, fastened rather insecurely to the upright stems of vines 

 and bushes, hidden by overhanging leaves, at an elevation of about 

 40 centimeters above the ground. It was built of leaves, leaf fibers, 

 and slender vines, with leaves placed vertically over the sides and 



