Carriker : List of the Birds of Costa Rica. 467 



158. Elanoides forficatus (Linnaeus). 



(Native name " Tijereta." ) 



Falco forficatus LlNN^EUS, Syst. Nat., ed IO, I, 1 758, 89. 



Elanoides forficatus Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1875,345. — Ridgway, 

 Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geogr. Surv., I, 1876, 182 (San Jose [Frantzius]). — 

 Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. de C. R., I, 1887, 126. 



Elanoides furcatus Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. Y., IX, 1868, 134 (Birris [Zele- 

 don]). — Frantzius, Jour, fur Orn., 1869, 369 ( Aguacate, Quebrada Honda, 

 Cervantes). — Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., I, 1874, 317. — Boucard, P. 

 Z. S., 1878,45 (Juan Vinas). —Salvin and GODMAN, Biol. Centr.-Am., 

 Aves, III, 1901, 95 (San Miguel and Juan Vifias). — Bangs, Auk, XXIV, 

 1907, 290 ( Boruca [Underwood]). 



U. S. Nat. Museum : Bonilla (Ridgway) (Basulto). 



Bangs Collection : El General de Terraba (Underwood). 



C. H. Lankester Collection : Cariblanco de Sarapiqui. 



Fleming Collection: Turrialba (Underwood). 



Carnegie Museum : Guapiles, Juan Vinas (Carriker). Three skins. 



Rather plentiful over both slopes and the central plateau region, 

 perhaps more abundant between 1,000 and 3,000 feet. They are almost 

 always to be seen circling about over a hillside or open pasture, and 

 are very shy as a rule, never coming within gunshot of a person, if 

 they see him first. The native name "Tijereta" (a small pair of 

 scissors) is derived from the shape of the tail. 



159. Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieillot). 



Herpetotheres sociabilis Vieillot, Nouv. Diet, d' Hist. Nat., XVIII, 1817, 318. 

 Rostrhamus sociabilis Moore, P. Z. S., 1859, 52. — Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. 



Y., IX, 1868, 134 (Gulf of Nicoya [Coll. O. Salvin]). —Frantzius, Jour. 



fur Orn., 1879, 369 (C. R. ). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, 



III, 1901, 99 (Frantzius' record). 



Bangs Collection: Bolson, Dec. 28, 1907 (Underwood). 



Salvin says {Ibis, 1869, 317), in his notes on Mr. Lawrence's 

 Catalogue, in regard to this species : " We have no specimen from the 

 Gulf of Nicoya, nor can I find any mention of the species in our 

 manuscript lists of Arce's collections." The presence of the species 

 in Frantzius' list (Jour, fur Orn., 1869, 369) rests wholly upon the 

 record given by Lawrence the previous year, therefore there is abso- 

 lutely no authentic published record of the occurrence of this kite in 

 Costa Rica, and were it not for the specimen collected at Bolson by 

 Underwood (mentioned above) the species would have to be dropped 



