622 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



357. Phaenostictus macleannani saturatus (Richmond). 



Phlegopsis macleannani Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. Y., VII, i860, 285 (Panama 



[M'Leannan]); IX, 1868, 109 (Angostura [J. Carmiol]). — Sclater and 



> 

 Salvin, Exotic Orn., 1867, 17 (Tucurriqui). — Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., VI, 1883, 415 (Rio Sucio [J. Cooper]). — Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. de 



C. R., I, 1887, 115 (Rio Sucio). — Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XV, 1890, 



300 (Tucurriqui [Arce]). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, 



II, 1892, 236 (Costa Rican references). — Underwood, Ibis, 1896, 441 



(Miravalles). 



Phlegopsis saturata Richmond, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XVIII, 1895, 625 (Rio 

 Escondido, Nicaragua, Aug. 31, 1892 [C. W. Richmond!). 



Phcenostictus Ridgway, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1909,70 (type, Phle- 

 gopsis macleannani Lawrence) . 



U. S. Nat. Museum: Rio Sucio (Cooper), Reventazon (Carranza). 

 Bangs Collection : Cariblanco de Sarapiqui, La Vijagua, Tenorio, 



Cerro de Santa Maria (Underwood). Thirteen specimens. 

 C. H. Lankester Collection : El Hogar. 

 Carnegie Museum : Guapiles, El Hogar (Carriker). Five specimens. 



I fail to find the very noticeable difference between specimens of 

 Phcenostictus macleannani from Panama and Costa Rica, which were 

 pointed out by Dr. Richmond in his description of P. saturata from 

 Nicaragua. I was able to compare Costa Rican specimens with but 

 two from Panama, but in these two skins the differences are very 

 slight indeed. It is true that the northern birds are slightly different, 

 but the best that can be said of them is that they are a rather poor 

 subspecies of the Panaman form. 



This species in Costa Rica is confined to the Caribbean foothills 

 and higher portion of the lowlands and the Pacific slope in the extreme 

 northwestern portion of the country, probably only from the Volcan 

 de Miravalles northward. I did not see the bird in Talamanca, but 

 it doubtless occurs there. I found it commonest in the upper part 

 of the Santa Clara Valley between about 600 and 1,500 feet, in the 

 dark, damp portions of the forest. This species feeds on the migrat- 

 ing ants in company with other terrestrial birds, and does not appear 

 to be so shy as Gymnocichla. It seldom leaves the ground, and 

 has the curious habit of rapidly jumping up and down on the ground, 

 like Stenopsis and Nyctidromus, when alarmed. The naked skin of 

 the head is bright cobalt-blue in life. 



