FAMILY TYRANNIDAE 369 



Darien ; on the Caribbean slope throughout, from western Bocas del 

 Toro to eastern San Bias. 



The published records for the Pacific slope for Santa Fe, Veraguas, 

 and "Veragua" (Salvin. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867, p. 146; and 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. 14, 1888, pp. 51-52) based on collections 

 by Arce, are considered erroneous, as there are no modern records. 

 The only area where I have found this flycatcher on the Pacific drain- 

 age west of the Canal Zone is on the head of the Rio Mata Ahogada 

 on the eastern base of Cerro Gaital, northeast of El Valle, Code. 

 The point is immediately adjacent to the head of the Rio Indio of the 

 Atlantic drainage, the two streams here being separated by a low open 

 ridge. It was my impression that the two birds seen were merely 

 casual intruders from the northern slope, a few hundred meters 

 distant. 



In primitive areas, especially in Darien, these small birds, at- 

 tractive in their quiet mannerisms, range in heavy forest along the 

 banks of the larger streams, less often where a tree had fallen, or 

 where there was a break in the forest canopy from some other cause. 

 Here they perched alertly on small dead or bare branches, and on the 

 tops of stubs. More rarely, I had views of them resting on dead 

 limbs, projecting in the open above the tree crown. In areas of human 

 settlement they are birds of forest edge, pastures, and clearings ad- 

 jacent to forest. This is one species that adapts readily to the usual 

 methods of forest clearing and burning, as this provides open range 

 with suitable perches in dead trees. The birds rest high or low above 

 the ground, watching alertly with quickly turning heads for passing 

 insects. These they capture expertly in short sallies from their lookout 

 points, with a graceful sweep of the long tail feathers as they turn in 

 the air. 



The note of the males is a sibilant whees zvhees, or ivheet, a sound 

 of little carrying power. Occasionally these soft calls are repeated 

 more rapidly in sequence as a low song. In display, males rose a few 

 meters in air and circled with wings held widely spread as they turned 

 to come down again on the perch. At rest, the tail was switched 

 vertically up and down quickly, assisted by up and down movements 

 of the short lateral rectrices. Though true flycatchers in appearance 

 and movement, they show few aggressive traits, as two males may 

 rest quietly, a meter or less apart. 



In Darien. Choco and Cuna Indian boys called them Luis or 

 Luisa, in imitation of their low calls. Elsewhere they were known 

 as Maestro, because of the whiplike switching movements of the long 



