FAMILY FORMICARHD.E 



system. As a consequence, though many 

 of them produce very beautiful notes, their 

 voices are susceptible of less modulation and 

 the variety of their calls and song notes is 

 less than is found in many members of the 

 other large suborder (Oscines, see page 346) , 

 which, however, comprises many poor song- 

 sters as well as good ones. The six families 

 that follow represent this suborder in the 

 Canal Zone. 



46. Family FORMICARIID^) 

 The Antbirds or Antthrushes 



A very large family of birds of the group 

 Clamatores, confined to the warm parts of 

 America exclusive of the West Indies. They 

 range in size from that of a thrush down to 

 that of a small wren or warbler, and vary 

 much in habits and appearance. The' typical 

 antbirds (also called antthrushes or ant 

 pittas) are more or less terrestrial forest 

 birds with rather long legs, short tail and 

 rather short bill; they feed, as their name 

 implies, largely on ants and termites. Many 

 of the larger species (called antshrikes) are 

 longer-tailed birds with the bill more or less 

 hooked at the tip like that of a shrike, and 

 are commonly found in brush and thickets. 

 The small forms, called antwrens, frequent 

 not only bushes and undergrowth, but often 

 also the tall trees of the forest, climbing 

 about like warblers or vireos. The plumage 

 of the antbirds is never brightly colored, 



237 



