288 



BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 2 



of the mouth black ; distal half of tongue slate color, basal half dull 

 pinkish white ; tarsus and toes fuscous-brown ; claws black. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Panama), wing 66.7-69.2 (67.7), 

 tail 33.6-40.2 (36.2), culmen from base 19.4-23.2 (21.2) mm. 



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

 62.0-66.4 (64.8), tail 31.8-34.8 (33.2), culmen from base 21.0-23.7 

 (21.8) mm. 



Weight, 2 females, 6.8, 7.12 grams (Hartman, Auk, 1954, p. 468). 



Resident. Locally fairly common in the tropical lowlands wherever 



Figure 42. — White-necked jacobin, colibri nuquiblanco, Florisuga mellivora 

 mellivora. 



there is moderate to abundant tree cover. Rarely to the lower Sub- 

 tropical Zone, where recorded in Chiriqui to 1,500 meters at Quiel, 

 above Boquete, and in Darien at 600 meters near Cana, on Cerro 

 Pirre. 



These hummingbirds, usually seen alone, are found regularly feed- 

 ing at the flowers of the heliconias (the false banana) in undergrowth 

 in the forest. In the shadows of early morning it is common also 

 to find one or two flying above open channels along jungle rivers 

 where groups of tiny diptera dance in the air. These the birds seize 

 as they hover and circle about, often up to 50 meters above the water. 

 If I have approached quietly, either in a piragua on the water, or 

 afoot along the bank, they may continue their activities, but at any 



