l6 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 2 



neck vinaceous or purplish brown, changing to bay or chocolate on the 

 back ; wing coverts, rump, and tail slightly duller ; primaries and sec- 

 ondaries dusky brown ; throat dull fawn color ; neck and upper breast 

 slightly paler than crown ; lower breast, abdomen, and sides vinaceous- 

 drab; under tail coverts slightly darker, tipped indistinctly with cin- 

 namon ; under wing coverts cinnamon-drab. 



Adult female, like the male but with colors duller. 



Juvenile, in general duller than the adult female; browner above, 

 with the wing coverts margined with cinnamon ; crown, rump, and 

 upper tail coverts tipped with darker cinnamon ; under parts with 

 duller tips of brown. 



This interesting bird and the short-billed pigeon are so similar in 

 form and general color pattern that it is difficult to distinguish them 

 in life. Both are inhabitants of forests where they live high above the 

 ground, hidden among the leaves, so that they are seen only on careful 

 observation. And then only the colors of the lower surface, in which 

 the two are closely similar, may be visible. The close similarity extends 

 also to the calls, though those of the ruddy pigeon when heard clearly 

 are somewhat harsher and more strongly accented. 



In my experience, the ruddy pigeon is not especially wary, even on 

 those few occasions when I have found one or two on the ground, 

 walking along open forest trails. They come down also to drink at 

 small forest streams. More often days have passed without sight of 

 one, though scattered birds called steadily from high overhead. 



Their small size when in the hand is a surprise as the body is slight 

 in bulk, though in life the long tail makes them appear large. 



The typical form is a bird of the Subtropical Zone in the mountains 

 of Costa Rica and western Panama. Several additional pigeons found 

 in the region from eastern Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela, south to 

 eastern Bolivia and northern Brazil are accepted currently as sub- 

 species, though there may be question as to this relationship. One of 

 these, in addition to the nominate race, is found in Panama. 



COLUMBA SUBVINACEA SUBVINACEA (Lawrence) 



Chloroenas subvinacca Lawrence, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, vol. 9, April 

 1868, p. 135. (Dota, Costa Rica.) 



Characters. — Somewhat brighter brown on the back ; larger. 



An adult female, taken on the Silla de Cerro Pando, above El 

 Volcan, Chiriqui, March 5, 1954, had the iris hazel-brown; bill dull 

 black ; cere dusky neutral gray; margin of eyelids dull red ; tarsus and 



