508 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



base the recognition of a form sanctce-marta. There is certainly no 

 difference in general size, although the bill in the Panama birds seems 

 to average very slightly larger, and the alleged difference in color, to 

 which Mr. Bangs and Messrs. Hellmayr and von Seilern have called 

 attention, breaks down completely when a sufficient series are brought 

 together. 



A species peculiar to the Tropical Zone, extending up to about 2,000 

 feet in the littoral and foothill region of the semi-arid section. In 

 the humid lowlands of the north side and the west side it does not go 

 so high, being rarely found above the coastal plain. It is rare in the 

 " dry forest " section, but common around Don Diego and fairly so at 

 Fundacion. It is always seen in pairs, keeping to the undergrowth of 

 the forest. It has a loud, not unmusical chirp, and is very noisy when 

 disturbed. It is always shy and can be approached only with caution. 



Two eggs from Don Amo, July 9, forwarded by Mr. Smith, are al- 

 most an exact counterpart of those of the Cardinal Grosbeak (Rich- 

 mondena cardinalis) of the north, but are of course smaller, measuring 

 only 22 X l 7- The nest is a flimsy affair of weed-stalks, small sticks, 

 etc., lined with fine wiry weed-stalks of a reddish color. 



490. Idiospiza oreophila (Todd). 



Catamenia oreophila Todd, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XXVI, 191 3, 169 

 (San Lorenzo; orig. descr. ; type in coll. Carnegie Mus.). 



Six specimens : San Lorenzo and Cerro de Caracas. 



Description. — Adult female (type) : above dull grayish olive, 

 streaked with clove brown, the rump and upper tail-coverts un- 

 streaked, and with a slight brownish wash; wings dusky brown, the 

 outer primaries narrowly margined externally with ashy gray, becom- 

 ing more brownish olive on the secondaries, and buffy white on the 

 tertiaries; wing-coverts grayish olive like the back, the greater series 

 obscurely margined terminally with buffy ; tail dusky, with grayish 

 olive margins to the feathers; sides of head and neck, and entire under 

 parts dull ashy gray, with a faint wash of buffy brownish on the 

 breast and abdomen, deepening into ochraceous tawny on the under 

 tail-coverts; throat faintly streaked with dusky; under wing-coverts 

 dull buffy white; "iris hazel; feet dark brownish horn; bill flesh-color, 

 tip dusky." 



Male (probably not fully adult) : similar to the adult female, as 



