254 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 3 



has two collected by Heyde and Lux on May 28 and June 8, 1889 

 labeled from Nata, Code, and there is a female in the American 

 Museum taken by these collectors at Capira, Panama, April 7, 1888. 

 These are the only records on the Pacific side west of the Canal Zone. 

 As this western area was forested — in part at least — in the early 

 period, the reports are possible. On the Caribbean slope the bird 

 is known from the Rio Calovevora in northern Veraguas, and from 

 the head of the Rio Guabal, in the upper drainage of the Rio Code del 

 Norte in northern Code. It is fairly common through the northern 

 Canal Zone, including Barro Colorado Island. Wedel collected several 

 at Perme and Puerto Obaldia, and I recorded others at Armila in 

 eastern San Bias. 



Though this shy forest bird is a terrestrial species that walks or 

 hops about under low undergrowth, it also flies up to perch on open 

 branches usually only a meter or so above the ground, but occasionally 

 in heavily shaded forest it flies as high as 9 or 10 meters. The song 

 is a series of clear, whistled notes, rising slightly in pitch and then 

 descending. 



In the original description Lawrence listed his type as from "New 

 Granada, Isthmus of Panama," but in a later supplementary note (in 

 the same reference, p. 326) he indicated that it was taken by 

 McLeannan and Galbraith on the Atlantic slope, near the railroad, 

 which fixes the type locality as on the northern side of the Canal Zone. 



Nests have been found in the Navy Pipeline area near Gamboa 

 by J. R. Karr from April to July, and by Ridgely in July. 



Family RHINOCRYPTIDAE : Tapaculos, Tapaculos 



The species in this family in the main are birds of South America, 

 where their principal diversity is found in the southern third of the 

 continent. Currently, 26 species are recognized divided among 11 

 genera. Some have the size of large thrushes or quail, lesser ones 

 are small and wrenlike. A few of those found in the far south 

 range inider low scrub in open lands, where at any alarm they run 

 swiftly and far. The greater number skulk hidden in the forest under- 

 growth and so easily escape notice. Everywhere they are shy and 

 secretive so that their presence is revealed mainly through their calls. 



Although active in walking, running over the ground, or in climb- 

 ing through low shrubbery, they have only limited powers in flight. 

 The feet are large, with the legs strong and muscular. Wings and the 

 muscles used in flight correspondingly are reduced. As the birds move 



