206 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 3 



MYRMECIZA EXSUL CASSINI (Ridgway) 



Myrmelastes cassini Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 21, October 

 20, 1908, p. 194. (Turbo, Antioquia, Colombia.) 



Characters. — Paler than other races ; wing coverts always well 

 spotted with white. Male, compared to M . e. niglarns, with head 

 and hindneck grayer, rest of upper surface duller brown, and under 

 surface lighter gray. Female decidedly duller brown above, throat 

 grayer, breast brighter brown, and abdomen paler. 



Measurements. — Males (21 from Darien), wing 63.0-69.4 (65.2), 

 tail 38.5-45.6 (41.2), culmen from base 19.5-22.3 (20.9), tarsus 

 26.4-28.7 (27.9) mm. 



Females (10 from Darien, and Choco, Colombia), wing 62.3- 

 64.6 (63.5), tail 36.8^2.2 (40.4), culmen from base 18.9-20.8 

 (19.8), tarsus 26.7-28.5 (27.3) mm. 



Resident. Pacific slope in Darien from the southern side of the 

 Golfo de San Miguel (Garachine), and the lower Tuira Valley, 

 south along the Pacific Coast through the drainage of the Rio Tuira, 

 to the Colombian boundary ; intergrades with M. e. niglarus along the 

 middle Rio Chucunaque (near the mouth of the Rio Tuquesa). 



I have found them fairly common through the forests of Darien, 

 usually in pairs, and have heard them calling regularly. 



The range extends into Colombia across northern Choco (ex- 

 cept in the extreme north at Acandi), south along the Pacific Coast 

 to the Rio Jurado (probably farther), and in the Atrato Valley to 

 Quibdo, east across the valley of the Rio Sinu, the middle Rio Cauca, 

 and the middle Rio Magdalena. 



An ancient specimen received from Heyde and Lux in the National 

 Museum, described by Ridgway (U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 50, pt. 5, 

 1911, p. 110) as an immature male of M. e. cassini is without ques- 

 tion of that race. The locality "Cascajal, Code" however, is certainly 

 erroneous, as that place is in the range of M. e. exsul. Hellmayr (Cat. 

 Birds. Amer., pt. 3, 1924, p. 263, footnote b) in discussing this lists 

 three males taken by Heyde and Lux at Cascajal as typical M. e. exsul. 

 The National Museum bird probably was collected in western 

 Colombia. 



MYRMECIZA LAEMOSTICTA LAEMOSTICTA Salvin: Salvin's 

 Ant-bird, Hormiguero Pechinegro 



Myrmeciza laemosticta Salvin, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1864 (February 1865), 

 p. 582. (Tucurrique, Costa Rica.) 



In size and actions like the Chestnut-backed Ant-bird, but back 

 with a concealed area of white ; female with throat spotted with white. 



