278 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 3 



Resident. Widely distributed and locally fairly common ; found 

 irregularly on the Pacific slope from eastern Chiriqui (Las Lajas), 

 western Veraguas (Puerto Vidal), and Code (Puerto Aguadulce), 

 with one record from the Azuero Peninsula (La Honda, 5 miles east 

 of Los Santos) ; more commonly in eastern Province of Panama 

 (Chepo, El Llano, Chiman) eastward through Darien to Colombia; 

 to 900 meters above Cana on Cerro Pirre, and to 1280 meters on 

 Cerro Mali. On the Caribbean side from western Colon (Chilar on 

 the lower Rio Indio). and the northern Canal Zone east through 

 San Bias (to Puerto (3baldia). 



They are seen most often in isolated trees along larger streams, or 

 in old clearings or second growth, at the borders of mangrove swamps 

 in the lowlands, and in shrubbery in pastures. When they range in 

 true forest, it is usually near the borders, where they will be found 

 among the leaves in the tree crown, not lower down in the under- 

 growth. Small-leaved trees with foliage spread so that they make 

 lacy shade are a frequent haunt. Always the birds move slowly and 

 methodically, much like vireos. The calls are low, rather weak, a 

 repetition of a single note, rarely somewhat harsher, but never with 

 strong carrying power. 



The stomachs of those that I have examined have been filled with 

 the remains of small insects and spiders that they glean from leaves 

 and twigs. Small coleoptera, homoptera, ants, and caterpillars are 

 common items . 



The nests are rounded balls of moss and other fibrous material 

 with an entrance in the side, placed at the ends of slender branches 

 from 4 to 20 meters from the ground. One that I thought might con- 

 tain eggs, but could not examine closely, was placed a meter or so 

 from a large and active nest of wasps. Others were inaccessible, also 

 often with wasp nests near. The birds were usually in breeding 

 condition or active about nests from the latter part of February 

 through April. I have seen no description of the eggs. 



The nominate form cinnamomcus ranges commonly beyond 

 Panama into Colombia. With a long series from that country the 

 race magdalenae, named by Chapman from the lower Magdalena 

 Valley, does not appear separable as its color variations match those of 

 the bird of Panama. Size also is similar as the following measure- 

 ments indicate. 



Males (10 from Bolivar, eastern Cordoba, and Magdalena), wing 

 72.5-79.9 (76.3), tail 50.3-56.2 (53.3), culmen from base 14.0- 

 15.9 (15.1), tarsus 18.0-19.0 (18.6) mm. 



