368 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA — PART 2 



frequents open areas it ranges mainly on the Pacific slope. On the 

 Caribbean side Peters (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 71, 1931, p. 316) 

 reported 1 taken by Benson at Bocas del Toro. Dr. Frank A. Hart- 

 man secured a male at Juan Mina, January 5, 1956. And Griscom 

 (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 72, 1932, p. 332) received a female 

 from von Wedel taken at Puerto Obaldia, San Bias. It has been seen 

 near the laboratory on Barro Colorado Island, and Lawrence (Ann. 

 Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, vol. 7, 1861, p. 291) lists it as sent to him 

 by McLeannan, probably from near Lion Hill. 



Ridgway's record (U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 50, pt. 5, 1911, p. 347) 

 for "Saboga Island" must be based on 2 specimens in our collection 

 obtained by Heyde and Lux in September 1888, on Isla Taboga. I 

 believe that a large hummingbird of the proper size, with dark 

 throat, that I saw for an instant only near the road below the summit 

 of Taboga on February 3, 1952, was this species. 



Goldman, in his field notes, recorded that one shot among flowers 

 in the top of a tall Erythrina had the throat "filled with small insects." 

 In the stomach of 1 that he collected at Boca de Cupe, Darien, June 14, 

 1912, I found 2 immature mites, and fragments of small spiders. 



Rowley (Proc. West. Found. Vert. Zool., vol. 1, 1966, p. 152) 

 described 2 nests of Heliomaster longirostris (presumably of the 

 race pallidiceps) found near San Gabriel Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, 

 one placed high above the ground in a Cecropia, the other in a shrub 

 in a coffee finca. Both nests were cup-shaped, the second one, which 

 contained 2 white eggs, being approximately 37.5 mm. high by 

 48.6 mm. broad, with the cup 31.3 mm. deep. The eggs measured 

 12.8x8.8 and 13.6x8.5 mm. 



In listing this species in the genus Heliomaster instead of in 

 Anthosccnus Richmond I have accepted current treatment, but with 

 some reservations since longirostris differs decidedly from Heliomaster 

 furcifer (Shaw), the type of the genus. This latter species has 

 elongated, narrowed rectrices and a deeply forked tail, and differs 

 also in the feathering on the nasal operculum and the throat. Peters 

 considered that Heliomaster squamosus (Temminck) bridges the 

 differences, but this may merit further study. Validity of a race 

 stuartae, described from northern Colombia, that has been listed 

 from eastern Panama, is not demonstrated in the extensive series 

 of specimens that I have seen. 



The species heliomaster was described from a specimen secured 

 by Parkinson "a Londres dans la collection de M. Thompson," with 

 no locality indicated other than "Indes Occidentales." Vieillot later 



