FAMILY BUCCONIDAE 475 



to Salvin and Sclater. Salvin and Godman (Biol. Centr.-Amer., 

 Aves, vol. 2, March, 1896, pp. 513-514) mention these records, and 

 also include "Veraguas (Arce)" saying only that "Arce found it a 

 little further along the Isthmus." Sclater (Mon. Jacamars and Puff- 

 birds, 1882, p. 83) explains in more detail that, "In 1876 Mr. Salvin 

 received a single skin . . . from his collector Arce, then in Veragua." 

 The specimen, now in the British Museum has no data except the 

 locality, which implies that it came from the Pacific slope where the 

 bird has not been found in western Panama. The report requires 

 verification as there was confusion in a few instances between speci- 

 mens forwarded by Arce and McLeannan. 



In appearance the pied puffbird duplicates in miniature the general 

 pattern of black-and-white color of the two larger species. Like 

 them it is a bird of the forests, where undoubtedly it is frequently 

 overlooked because of its quiet activities. Little is known of it except 

 for the few specimens that have been collected. Most of those pre- 

 viously recorded from the Republic have come from the lower 

 Chagres River Valley. It has been found at intervals on Barro 

 Colorado Island, where Chapman (My Tropical Air Castle, 1929, 

 pp. 62-63) described an incident where one swung to hang briefly 

 beneath its perch, when startled by a soaring turkey vulture. And 

 then, when the vulture had passed, returned to its usual upright 

 position. In February 1961, I obtained 3 near the Peluca Hydro- 

 graphic Station, on the Rio Boqueron. In Bocas del Toro, von 

 Wedel secured 1 at Almirante November 1, 1928 (Peters, Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 71, 1931, p. 317). Two others from this 

 locality were sent to me from collectors of the Gorgas Memorial 

 Laboratory, taken January 25, 1961, and November 20, 1962. In 

 San Bias, I found 1 at Mandinga, and von Wedel secured several at 

 Puerto Obaldia in 1930 and 1931 (Griscom, idem, vol. 72, 1932, p. 

 340). 



On the Pacific slope we secured 1 at Charco del Toro on the Rio 

 Maje on March 20, 1950, the most western record to date on that 

 side of the Isthmus. The George Vanderbilt Expedition of 1941 

 secured 1 at Garachine (Bond and De Schauensee, Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Philadelphia, Mem. 6, 1944, p. 31). Benson collected a female at El 

 Tigre on the Rio Cupe, (near Boca de Cupe) on February 10, 1928 

 (in the Museum of Comparative Zoology). My records include 1 

 at Boca de Paya on the Rio Tuira, March 13, 1959, and 1 at Jaque, 

 March 30, 1946. I have found them at the borders of forest, usually 

 along streams, where they have come out to rest on open branches. 



