738 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



This beautiful songster is confined to the highlands, but is generally 

 distributed over the whole of the country above 2,500 feet, even going 

 down as low as 1,200 or 1,500 feet on the Caribbean slope (Carrillo). It 

 seems to be most abundant on the eastern edge of the plateau region 

 and upper Caribbean slope, preferring the cool humid forests to be found 

 in that region. It is a charming songster and much prized by the people 

 of the country as a cage-bird, seeming to thrive well in captivity. The 

 bird is extremely hard to locate in the forest by means of its song, which 

 has decided ventriloquistic qualities. The native name given on account 

 of its beautiful song is "El Rey do los Jilgueros," literally meaning the 

 "King of the Linnets." 



512. Planesticus nigrescens (Cabanis). 



Turdus nigrescens Cabanis, Jour, ftir Orn., i860 (pub. Jan., 1861), 324 (Volcan 

 de Irazu [Hoffmann]; coll. Berlin Mus.). — Sclater, Cat. Am. Birds, 1862, 

 358 (Costa Rica). — Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. Y., IX, 1868, 91, Volcan de 

 Irazu [Cooper], Dota [F. Carmiol]). — Frantzius, Jour, fur Orn., 1869, 290 

 (Volcan de Irazu). — Boucard, P. Z. S., 1878, 50 (Volcan de Irazu, 6,000 to 

 10,000 feet; descr. nest and eggs). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., 

 Aves, I, 1879, 25, pi. 4. 



Merula nigrescens Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. de C. R., I, 1887, 104 (Volcan de 

 Irazu). — Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., V, 1881, 242 (Volcan de Irazu). 

 — Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V, 1882, 494 (summit Volcan de Irazu 

 [Nutting]). 



Planesticus nigrescens Ridgway, Birds N. and Mid. Amer., IV, 1907, 124 (high 

 mountain summits of Chiriqui, Panama, and Costa Rica: Vols, de Poas, 

 de Irazu, de Turrialba, Dota, Rancho Redondo). 



U. S. Nat. Museum: Las Vueltas de Dota (Basulto). 



Bangs Collection: Azahar de Cartago, Volcan de Irazu, and Escazii 



(Underwood). 

 C. H. Lankester Collection: Volcanoes de Irazu, Poas, and Turrialba. 

 Carnegie Museum: Volcanoes de Irazu and Turrialba (Carriker). Five 



skins. 



This species is confined entirely to the high mountain-tops, not being 

 taken below 7,000 feet, and is most abundant about 9,000 feet on the high 

 volcanoes. It is one of the commonest birds to be seen around the sum- 

 mits of Irazu and Turrialba just below timber-line, but also frequents in 

 considerable numbers the scrub above timber-line. Its habits and song 

 are strikingly like those of our American Robin, P. migratorius, the song 

 being almost indistinguishable, and to further strengthen the relationship, 

 their nests and eggs are also the same. I found it breeding on the 

 Volcan de Irazu early in April, taking a nest on the 12th containing two 



