FAMILY TROCHILTDAE 26l 



hermits. The white tips of the rectrices as they move in an arc show 

 clearly and attract the eye, though in the dim light of the undergrowth 

 in which they live, the body of the bird may be barely visible. 



Two of the four forms that are recognized are found in Panama. 



Gould (Monogr. Trochilidae, vol. 1, pt. 2, 1851, pi. 11 and text) 

 stated that "M. Bourcier very appropriately dedicated this species to 

 Sigismund Rucker of Wandsworth, a gentleman distinguished alike 

 for his love of natural science and for his refined taste in the arts." 



THRENETES RUCKERI VENTOSUS Bangs and Penard 



Threnetes ruckeri ventosus Bangs and Penard, Occ. Papers Boston Soc. Nat. 

 Hist., vol. 5, April 7, 1924, p. 77. (Pozo Azul, Costa Rica.) 



Characters. — Upper surface bronzy green ; cinnamon-brown on 

 f oreneck extending to upper breast ; lower breast and abdomen some- 

 what paler. 



A male taken near the head of the Rio Guabal, on the Caribbean 

 slope of northwestern Code, March 2, 1962, had the iris dark brown; 

 maxilla and tip of mandible black ; rest of mandible dull honey yellow ; 

 tarsus, toes, and claws light brown. Another male shot near Puerto 

 Armuelles, Chiriqui, January 26, 1966, had the iris dark reddish 

 brown; maxilla and tip of mandible black; bare skin between the 

 mandibular rami dull yellow ; side of mandibular rami dull grayish 

 green ; cutting edge, inside of mandible, and tongue dull honey yellow ; 

 toes light brownish yellow ; claws black. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Panama), wing 54.1-60.0 (56.8), 

 tail 32.7-35.1 (34.0), culmen from base 30.4-32.9 (31.3) mm. 



Females (10 from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama), wing 

 52.8-58.4 (55.4), tail 30.8-35.5 (32.8), culmen from base 30.3-33.5 

 (31.9) mm. 



Resident. Locally distributed in forested areas, mainly in the low- 

 lands, from the Costa Rican boundary in western Chiriqui to the 

 western sector of the Province of Panama, and on the Caribbean 

 slope to the valley of the Rio Indio in northern Code. 



The few reports for it on the Pacific slope include a male collected 

 by Mrs. Davidson at Puerto Armuelles, November 14, 1929 (specimen 

 in the California Academy of Sciences), another male that I secured 

 in the same area January 29, 1966, and birds taken by Arce listed by 

 Salvin and Godman (Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, vol. 2, 1892, p. 316) 

 from Bibalaz and Mina de Chorcha, Chiriqui. 



On the Caribbean side this form is locally common in the forests 

 of Bocas del Toro. Handley collected 1 (in formalin) at Sibube on 



