234 rOEMICAEIID^. 



2. Pormicarius hofiinanni. 



Myrmornis hoffmanni, Cab. J. f. Om. 1861, p. 95 \ 



Formicarim hoffmanni, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 357"; 1879, p. 526'; Lawr, Ann, Lye. N. Y, 

 ix. p. 110 ^ Salv. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 75^; 1870, p. 195 '; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 62^ 

 Nutting, Pr. TT. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 405 ' ; Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. Costa Hica, 1887, p. 115 ' ; 

 Scl. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xv. p. 304". 



Formicarius analis, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y, vii. p. 326 (cf. Lawr. 1. c. ix. p. 110) ". 



F. moniligero affinis, sed torque gutturali rufo vix ullo (aut omnino absente), tectridbus snbcaudalibas clare 

 rufls distinguendus. 



Hah. NiCAEAGUA, Los Sabalos (Nutting ^) ; Costa Kica {Hoffmann ^ % San Carlos 

 (Boucard ''),'La.s Trojas, Jimenez, Pacuare (Zeledon^); Panama, Chiriqui, Bugaba^ 

 (Jrce), Lion Hill {M'Leannan^'^^), Obispo {0. S.), Paraiso Station (Hughes), 

 Chepo (Arce). — Colombia 3. 



Dr. Cabanis ^ separated this species in 1861, basing his description upon a Costa- 

 Rican specimen sent to the Berlin Museum by the late Dr. Hoffmann. It is readily to 

 be distinguished from F. moniliger by the characters given above, but its difference 

 from the Guiana F. crissalis is not so obvious, and opinions have varied on this subject. 

 Mr. Sclater in his recent catalogue keeps the two birds separate, which is at variance 

 vdth the verdict of Dr. Finsch. If F. crissalis is to be recognized, its range will be 

 found to be almost restricted to Guiana, specimens from which country are pale ashy 

 beneath, almost white on the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts bright, almost brick- 

 red, the sides of the neck, too, are less prominently rufous. Mr. Sclater places the 

 Antioquia bird with F. crissalis ; but we think it goes much better with F. hoffmanni, 

 to which it was first assigned ^. 



F. hoffmanni was a common bird in the forest near Obispo Station on the Panama 

 Railway in 1873, and its clear call could almost always be heard near the forest paths. 

 The bird itself was not easy to see, except by remaining quite motionless, when it 

 would be observed walking about on the ground with its tail erect searching for insects, 

 every now and then uttering its cry. 



Mr. Nutting says ^ this bird is rather common at Los Sabalos, but exceedingly shy. 

 He describes its actions, when suddenly approached, as follows : — " Instead of at once 

 resorting to flight like most birds, it spreads its wings, lowers its head, and sneaks 

 silently and quickly along, taking advantage of every inequality of the ground and 

 bunch of dried leaves until at a safe distance from the intruder, when it takes flight." 

 Its note, he says, is a loud clear whistle, followed at a considerable interval by two or 

 more lower less accentuated ones, and has a very remarkable ventriloqual quality ; so 

 pronounced is this, that when the bird is quite near the note seems to issue from the 

 trees instead of from the ground, whence it really proceeds. 



