FAMILY FORMICARIIDAE 237 



eastward. While a specimen in the British Museum (Natural History) 

 recorded by Salvin (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867, p. 145), taken 

 by Arce, is labeled "Santiago de Veraguas" the locality is doubtful 

 as there is no other report from that area. Griscom received speci- 

 mens of this race, collected by Benson, from near the Rio Calovevora 

 on the Caribbean side so that it is probable that the Salvin specimen 

 may have been one of those secured by Arce in his early work at 

 Santa Fe on the old trail to Calovevora. The birds are found rather 

 regularly on Barro Colorado Island in the northern Canal Zone ; 

 Goldman collected specimens at Portobelo and on the slopes of 

 Cerro Bruja, eastern Colon, in 1911 ; and February 8, 1957, I secured 

 one of a pair at Mandinga, in western San Bias. At the eastern end 

 of San Bias from Perme to Puerto Obaldia there are numerous 

 records. From northwestern Colombia we have specimens from 

 northern Choco and the Sinu Valley in the Department of Cordoba. 

 Older specimens of this race darken considerably with age which led 

 Bangs and Barbour in study of a collection made by Barbour in 

 Darien to name their recently taken birds, pale in color in com- 

 parison with older ones, as a separate race chocoanus. The series 

 now at hand demonstrates that this is not valid. 



Little information is available as to life history other than observa- 

 tions of the activities of these birds over ant swarms in company 

 with the Bicolored and Spotted Ant-birds. Eisenmann (Smith- 

 sonian Misc. Coll., vol. 117, no. 5, 1952, p. 36) on Barro Colorado 

 Island noted under breeding "July 10, 1950, adults feeding stub- 

 tailed fledgling." Two nearly grown young birds, both males, that I 

 collected on January 18, 1955, as they fed actively over a line of ants 

 were both still in juvenile dress, though with wings and tail fully de- 

 veloped and functional. I have seen no description of the nest and 

 eggs. Johnson (Proc. Linnaean Soc. New York, nos. 63-65, 1954, 

 pp. 45-60) also on Barro Colorado Island recorded them in pairs, 

 heard them singing frequently during March, and noted that one 

 member of a pair often fed the other. I have noted the song as a rapid 

 repetition of a soft note. 



Stomachs that I have examined held remains of crickets, roaches, 

 and spiders. 



PITTASOMA MICHLERI Cassin: Black-crowned Ant-pitta, 

 Merendero 



A terrestrial species, one of the largest of the family, with plump 

 body and short tail ; brown above with breast heavily barred with 

 black and white. 



