FAMILY CUCULIDAE 125 



Juvenile, dull sooty brown on the body ; wings and tail dull brown- 

 ish black. 



In an adult female, taken at Puerto Obaldia, San Bias, March 15, 

 1963, the iris was dark brown ; bill fuscous-black, paler along the 

 elevated ridge of the culmen ; tarsus, toes, and claws black. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Panama), wing 143.8-156.0 

 (149.0), tail 172-185 (177.5), culmen from base 30.5-37.0 (34.3), tar- 

 sus 36.5-41.2 (38.6) mm. 



Females (10 from Panama), wing 145.9-155.4 (149.1), tail 167- 

 185 (176.3), culmen from base 31.4-34.9 (33.0), tarsus 36.3-39.3 

 (37.9) mm. 



Resident. Common throughout the lowlands except in Bocas del 

 Toro and northern Veraguas. Ranges locally in cultivated areas in the 

 mountains of Chiriqui to 1,100 meters at Santa Clara and El Sereno 

 near the Costa Rican boundary, 1,250 meters near El Volcan, and 

 1,500 meters at El Salto above Boquete; found at 550 meters in open 

 areas on Cerro Pirre. Isla Coiba; Isla Taboga, Isla Taboguilla, and 

 Isla Urava; Archipielago de las Perlas (islas San Jose, Pedro Gon- 

 zalez, del Rey, Vivienda, Cafias, Saboga). 



The smooth-billed ani originally appears to have been a species of 

 South America, but may have entered Panama early as open savannas 

 of the Pacific slope could have allowed their establishment in the pre- 

 historic period. Clearings made by Indians in the forests of eastern 

 Panama today often harbor flocks of anis, so that it is reasonable to 

 believe that the birds may have been present at the time of the early 

 Spanish explorations when the Indian population was large, and their 

 clearings correspondingly extensive. The early establishment of this 

 ani is indicated also by its wide distribution through the islands in the 

 Gulf of Panama. Spread of this species through the lower Chagres 

 Valley may have come with the clearing of forest during construction 

 of the Panama Railroad. 



As the species is known to have expanded its range considerably, 

 it is of interest to review its known history. The first specimens of 

 record, taken about 1860 by James McLeannan along the line of the 

 railroad, were reported by Lawrence (Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New 

 York, 1861, p. 301). In the lower Chagres Valley the birds prospered 

 as Jewel (Auk, 1913, p. 426) speaks of the ani during his residence 

 there from 1910 to early 1913 as "the most abundant of resident 

 birds." In the Pearl Islands W. W. Brown, Jr., found them on Isla 

 del Rey in April 1900, and on Isla Saboga in 1904. Another early 

 report is of one taken by Festa at Punta de Sabana near the mouth of 



