Todd-Carriker : Birds of Santa Marta Region, Colombia. 421 



toventris, which has been examined by Mr. Ridgway, and also by the 

 writer in this connection, happens to possess characters which are 

 purely individual in their nature. For a long time this type was the 

 only other specimen from Colombia available for comparison in any 

 American museum, but very recently a small but illuminating series 

 of this form has come to hand from the States of Bolivar and San- 

 tander in that country. These prove beyond a reasonable doubt that 

 the extent of the barring on the under surface, upon which authors 

 have laid so much stress, is a variable feature, and is not in the least 

 correlated with locality. In some individuals the barring extends 

 right up to the white of the breast, while in others there is a black 

 band, unbarred, on the chest, as in P. fasciatoventris albigularis of 

 Panama. The barring on the tail also varies greatly, all the rectrices 

 being uniformly thus marked in some individuals, while in others the 

 markings are confined to the outer webs. Typical fasciatoventris dif- 

 fers from albigularis as follows: color of upper parts brighter, more 

 riifescent; tail more regularly barred, and decidedly more rufescent; 

 and upper part of auriculars dusky rufescent brown, lower part white. 

 In the latter respect, as well as in the character of the barring in the 

 tail, it curiously enough approaches the Costa Rican form, melano- 

 gaster, but differs. of course in the more decided barring of the under 

 parts. 



All four adults from Fundacion (August 14-18) are in rather worn 

 and faded plumage. Two specimens from Tucurinca (September 18) 

 are in juvenal dress, with ashy gray throat and breast, yellow bill 

 (below), and indistinct bars on the posterior under surface. A third 

 example taken on the same date, and another shot at Fundacion on 

 October 20, are in postjuvenal moult, the throat having become white 

 and the bill dark, with some heavy barring on the abdomen. 



This handsome wren was found only about Tucurinca and Funda- 

 cion, in the heavy forest of the alluvial plain. It is evidently a bird 

 of the littoral Tropical Zone, since but one example was taken in the 

 higher ground of the lower foothills. It frequents masses of vines and 

 tangled thickets in the heavy forest, keeping close to the ground. Like 

 all the members of this genus, it is very shy and keeps well hidden 

 from sight. The song was not heard, as the breeding season was over 

 at the time. 



