13- BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA — PART 2 



quite massive structure was made of large leaves placed in compact 

 form, with a cup of finer materials. When discovered there were 

 4 eggs, and when I collected the set the following day another egg 

 had been added. As I lifted the nest only the central cup held firm 

 and the rest fell apart immediately. In other locations these anis make 

 firmer structures of twigs, bits of vine, and herbaceous material, some 

 plucked in the branches nearby, and some gathered from the ground. 

 Green leaves form the lining, with more added during incubation. 



The 5 eggs from Las Lajas had shells that were grayish blue, 

 covered so completely with the white, chalky deposit usual in these 

 birds that the underlying color is visible mainly in small irregular spots 

 or lines that suggest scratches. These 5 eggs have the following 

 measurements, illustrative of the usual variation in size: 29.1x24.1, 

 297x23.6, 29.8x24.2, 30.7x23.4, and 33.5x25.6 mm. 



In a detailed account of this species Skutch (Auk, 1959, pp. 281- 

 317), found that when the nests were built by single pairs most of 

 the material was brought by the male, and arranged by his mate. Both 

 sexes incubate, with this duty shared among the participating pairs 

 where the nest is communal. Nestlings are completely bare when 

 hatched. 



Many country dwellers do not distinguish between the two smaller 

 anis, but recognize all as garrapateros. Often also the name cocinera 

 is applied to them when the large ani is not recognized as distinct. Near 

 Parita, in the Azuero Peninsula the groove-bill was called tengo tengo. 

 Near Sona, they were known as gallecillo or gallotillo — little rooster 

 — and talingo, and near El Cope, Code, as quani. Elsewhere they 

 were pointed out to me as the tordita. 



TAPERA NAEVIA EXCELLENS (Sclater) : 

 Striped Cuckoo, Tres Pesos 



Figure 18 



Diplopterus excellens P. L. Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1857, (January 12, 

 1858), p. 229. (San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico.) 



A medium-sized, crested cuckoo, with heavily streaked back, and 

 cinnamon to cinnamon-buff upper and under tail coverts. 



Description. — Length 260-290 mm. ; with long, somewhat bushy 

 crest, and elongated upper tail coverts half as long as tail. Adult 

 (sexes alike), crown cinnamon-rufous to cinnamon, with a central 

 black stripe on each feather; rest of upper surface cinnamon, clay 

 color, or buffy gray, streaked broadly with black; wing coverts with 

 irregular black central markings; the long alula dull black; primary 



