FAMILY TROCHILIDAE 297 



a small white spot immediately behind the eye; throat violet-blue 

 (extending laterally to malar region) ; rest of under surface brownish 

 gray, spotted and flecked on lower foreneck and breast with metallic 

 green ; under tail coverts tipped with white. 



Adult female, above like male but with crown paler blue; under 

 surface pale gray ; lateral rectrices tipped broadly with grayish white. 



Immature, like female, but with crown dull green to bluish green. 



A female, taken at El Cope, Code, February 21, 1962, had the 

 iris dark brown; maxilla and tip of mandible black; base of mandible 

 fuscous-brown ; toes mouse brown ; claws black. (The tarsus is 

 feathered.) 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Costa Rica and Panama), wing 

 47.7-51.9 (49.6), tail 26.1-29.9 (27.9), oilmen from base 13.2-15.2 

 (14.0) mm. 



Females (10 from Costa Rica and Panama), wing 44.0-45.9 

 (44.9), tail 23.4-25.1 (24.3), culmen from base 13.2-15.1 (14.2) mm. 



Resident. Uncommon; widely distributed in forests throughout 

 the Republic from the lowlands to the Subtropical Zone. 



Records, based on specimens, are as follows: Chiriqui (Bugaba, 

 El Volcan, Boquete, Chame) ; Bocas del Toro (Almirante) ; Veraguas 

 (Cerro Vie jo, Castillo, Chitra, Calovevora, Santa Fe, Santiago, 

 El Mineral) ; Code (Ventorillo, El Cope) ; western Province of 

 Panama (Cerro Campana) ; Canal Zone (Juan Mina) ; eastern 

 Province of Panama (Cerro Azul, Chepo, Cerro Chucanti) ; Darien 

 (Cerro Sapo, Cana). The report by Aldrich (Scient. Publ. Cleve- 

 land Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, 1937, p. 75) for Cerro Viejo, Veraguas, 

 above Montijo Bay, is indication that the bird ranges along the 

 forested spine of the Azuero Peninsula. It should be found also in 

 the inland forests of San Bias. 



While these birds have wide distribution I have seen them only 

 casually as lone individuals feeding at flowers in forest. Rarely the 

 angle of light on an adult male has brought out the brilliant blue 

 of crown and throat. The more usual distinctive mark has been 

 the small spot of white on the side of the head, immediately behind 

 the eye. 



Alexander Skutch (Wilson Bull., 1958, pp. 5-19) in Costa Rica 

 has found them common, feeding at flowers, and nesting in the dry 

 season. At this time males rest on open twigs well elevated, and 

 sing steadily, a chipping song. Here also they come out into open 

 areas, especially in feeding. He found females building their cuplike 

 nests, of moss and cobweb, lined with plant down, attached to 



