Carriker: List of the Birds of Costa Rica. 611 



This species ranges over the whole of the Caribbean lowlands and 

 up the slopes to about 2,000 feet, and on the Pacific lowlands from 

 the Gulf of Nicoya southward, but not to so high an altitude as on 

 the eastern side. In habits it is very similar to Myrmotherula melana, 

 inhabiting the heavy forest, and going about in small bands in company 

 with other small woodland birds. The note is a weak chirp, not un- 

 pleasing to the ear. It is probably the most abundant of the arboreal 

 ant-thrushes in Costa Rica. 



Mr. Cherrie gives the following note on the habits of the male at 

 the beginning of the breeding-season (Expl. Zool. en C. R., 1 890-1, 

 I 8 93 , 43) : " The time of nesting begins in February. The enam- 

 oured male executes a kind of dance before the female, making turns 

 from one side to the other, with the wings dragging, the tail lifted 

 and spread and the feathers of the back raised and parted in the 

 center, disclosing clearly the white patch ordinarily concealed." 

 ( Translated from the Spanish. ) 



346. Rhamphocaenus rufiventris (Bonaparte). 



Scolopacinus rufiventris Bonaparte, P. Z. S., 1837, 119 (Guatemala [Velazquez]). 

 Rhamphoccenus rufiventris Gray, Gen. Birds, I, 157. pi- 47. fig- 2. — Salvin, 

 Ibis, 1869, 319 (Bebedero [Arce]). — Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XV, 

 1890, 261 (Bebedero [Arce]). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, 

 II, 1892, 219 (Mexico to Colombia; Costa Rican references). — Underwood, 

 Ibis, 1896, 440 (Miravalles). — Bangs, Auk, XXIV, 1907. 296 (Boruca, 

 Paso Real, and El Pozo de Terraba [Underwood]). 

 U. S. Nat. Museum : La Lagunaria de Dota (Basulto). 

 Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia: Bebedero (Underwood). 

 Bangs Collection: El General de Terraba, Pozo Azul de Pirris, Bolson, 



Tenorio, La Vijagua (Underwood). 



Carnegie Museum : Guapiles (Carriker & Crawford): Pozo Azul de 



Pirris, Cuabre, Guacimo, Bebedero, Miravalles, Carn'llo, El Hogar, 



El Pozo de Terraba, Boruca (Carriker). Sixteen skins. 



Although this species has a very large range and covers nearly the 



whole of Costa Rica below 1,500 feet, it is not common, and very few 



specimens seem to have been taken by early collectors. Lawrence 



did not have a specimen of it when he issued his Catalogue in 1868, 



although Arce had taken it at Bebedero previous to that time. Up to 



1887 there was no Costa Rican specimen in the Museo Nacional de 



Costa Rica. 



It seems to be just as abundant on the Pacific as on the Caribbean 



