564 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA — PART 3 



brownish black ; tarsus, toes, and claws black ; another male collected 

 at El Llano, February 4 of the same year had the iris light brown ; 

 bill, tarsus, and toes black. A female, at Chiva Chiva, Canal Zone, 

 January 12, 1963, had the iris light reddish brown ; base of gonys and 

 lower side of mandibular rami light huffy brown ; rest of bill fuscous ; 

 tarsus and toes dusky neutral gray ; claws black. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Code, Canal Zone, Province of 

 Panama, and Darien), wing 56.6-59.9 (58.4). tail 52.4-57.0 (54.7), 

 culmen from base 11.0-12.5 (11.5, average of 9), tarsus 17.3-18.4 

 (17.7) mm. 



Females (10 from Canal Zone, Province of Panama, Darien, and 

 northern Colombia), wing 52.0-58.7 (56.0), tail 45.6-53.3 (49.7), 

 culmen from base 10.4-11.9 (11.8), tarsus 16.3-17.9 (17.1) mm. 



Resident. Uncommon ; found in forested areas on the Pacific slope 

 from the southern Canal Zone (Chiva Chiva) east through eastern 

 Province of Panama and Darien ; on the Caribbean side, from the 

 upper Rio Indio (El Uracillo) in northern Code, east through the 

 lower Chagres Valley (Achiote, Gamboa, Barro Colorado Island) ; 

 and at Perme, eastern Comarca de San Bias. 



Like the Greenish Elaenia this is a forest bird, but one found in 

 smaller number. While the ranges of the two species overlap from 

 the northern Canal Zone eastward, there would appear to be no 

 competition between them as I have not encountered them together. 

 The Forest Elaenia, in part, ranges in the high tree crown, and in that 

 habitat is seldom seen. Those that I have observed near at hand have 

 been lower down in the tops of undergrowth. They are slender birds 

 that perch with the body erect and tail pointing down, usually moving 

 slowly in a leisurely manner. Only rarely have I found them in 

 company with other small forest birds. While they move about 

 quietly in search of insects, also they may remain at rest for several 

 minutes. As the yellow crest usually is hidden under the adjacent 

 feathers, there is little in their appearance to distinguish them from 

 other small flycatchers of similar rather dull colors. Their rather 

 sharp, two-syllable call, that Eisenmann describes as pitwheet, may 

 attract attention but the bird itself may be difficult to locate. 



Near La Jagua I found them in the low trees near the Rio Chico. 

 At Chiman, and on the Rio Maje, they were in thickets, and in open 

 growth bordering old clearings. Elsewhere they have been seen occa- 

 sionally in growths of weeds adjacent to the border of low forest. In 

 the lower levels of Cerro Pirre I encountered one in open stands of 

 brush beside a river. In Darien I have found them in Tuira Valley at 



