Carriker : List of the Birds of Costa Rica. 621 



cially the females) differ very distinctly from Costa Rican specimens, 

 the latter being very dark ferruginous below in contrast to the orange- 

 rufous color of the bird from Panama. In Costa Rica this form is 

 confined to the southwestern Pacific lowland region, from near sea- 

 level up to about i, 800 feet. It has been taken as far north as Pigres, 

 on the Gulf of Nicoya, where Mr. Ridgway secured one or more 

 specimens. This bird is not found in the open forest, but in the 

 dense, tangled jungle. It is usually seen in pairs, and feeds in 

 company with Myrmelastes and Formicarius on the travelling ants. 



356. Gymnocichla cheiroleuca Sclater and Salvin. 



Gymnocichla nudiceps Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. Y., I X, 1868, 109 (Tucurriqui 

 [Arce], Coll. O. Salvin). 



Gymnocichla cheiroleuca Sclater and Salvin, P. Z. S., 1869, 417 (Omoa, 

 Honduras [Leyland]; Tucurriqui, Costa Rica [Aice]). — Salvin, Ibis, 1869, 

 314 (Tucurriqui). — Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. de C. R., I, 1887, 115 (Costa 

 Rica). — Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XV, 1890, 272 (Tucurriqui [Arce]). 

 — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, II, 1892, 224 (Costa Rican 

 references). 



U. S. Nat. Museum: Jimenez (Alfaro). 



Bangs Collection : Talamanca, one c? (Cooper ?). 



Carnegie Museum : Cuabre, Rio Sicsola, Guapiles, El Hogar 



(Carriker). Twelve skins. 



This ant-thrush, although not an extremely rare bird, is very rare in 

 collections. Its habitat is such that it has been overlooked by most 

 collectors, being found only in the most impenetrable jungle in the 

 Caribbean lowlands, from sea-level up to about 1,000 feet. It is also 

 a very shy bird and its habits must be carefully studied before the bird 

 can be secured, except an occasional specimen now and then. The 

 females are very much more difficult to secure than the males, always 

 slipping away at the first alarm. The birds are very fond of the 

 dense jungles of wild plantain so abundant in some parts of the Santa 

 Clara Valley, where they are usually found in company with Phccno- 

 stictus macleannani saturatus, hopping about on or near the ground. 

 When alarmed they will sometimes fly up into a low palm tree or 

 vine-covered shrub. They have no call which I have ever heard, 

 but do have an alarm note, uttered only by the male when suddenly 

 disturbed, the female being always silent. I was unable to learn 

 anything about their breeding habits or nesting. 



