846 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



that it seems probable that, if the bird was actually taken at San Mateo, 

 it was only a rare straggler in that region. From my own experience I 

 should say that the bird was confined to the Caribbean foot-hills and the 

 higher parts of the lowlands, from about 500 to 2,000 feet. I found it 

 most abundant at about 800 to 1 ,000 feet in the vicinity of Guacimo, where 

 on several occasions flocks were seen. It seems to be one of the traits 

 of the bird to associate in flocks of from six to twenty or more. They 

 are partial to dark damp places in the forest, the underbrush along 

 creeks, and boggy woodland, where they keep near the ground, moving 

 continuously from bush to bush or tree to tree, all the while chattering and 

 calling in a noisy manner. They are very shy and difficult to approach 

 within gunshot, and on the whole are very rare birds in Costa Rica. 



666. Tachyphonus nitidissimus Salvin. 



Tachyphonus nitidissimus Salvin, P. Z. S., 1870, 188 (Bugaba, Chiriqui; coll. 

 Salvin and Godman). — Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., VI, 1883, 412 

 (Pirris, Costa Rica; crit.). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, 

 I, 1883, 312, part, pi. 2i, figs. 2 and 3 (Bugaba, Panama). — Sclater, Cat. 

 Birds Brit. Mus., XI, 1886, 214, part (Chiriqui). — Cherrie, Expl. Zool. en 

 el Rio Naranjo, 1893, 14 (Rio Naranjo); Expl. Zool. en C. R., 1891-2, 1893, 

 26 (Palmar, Lagarto, Boruca, and Terraba). — Ridgway, Birds N. and Mid. 

 Amer., II, 1902, 136 (Veragua, Chiriqui, and southwestern Costa Rica: Pir- 

 ris). — Bangs, Auk, XXIV, 1907, 309 (Boruca, Paso Real, El Pozo, and Bar- 

 ranca de Terraba [Underwood]). 



Tachyphonus luctuosus Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. de C. R., I, 1887, no, part 

 (Pozo Azul de Pirris). 



U. S. Nat. Museum: Pozo Azul de Pirris and Pozo Pital (Cherrie). 

 Bangs Collection: Pozo Azul de Pirris, El General, and Buenos Aires de 



Terraba (Underwood). 

 Carnegie Museum: Pozo Azul de Pirris, El Pozo de Terraba, Boruca, and 



Buenos Aires (Carriker). Eight skins. 



This species is confined to the southwestern portion of Costa Rica, so 

 far as now known, not having been taken north of the Rio Grande de 

 Pirris, but in all probability it extends as far north as the valley of the 

 Rio Grande de Tarcoles. It is confined to the lowlands and lower foot- 

 hills, ranging from sea-level up to perhaps 1,500 feet. Like the succeeding 

 form, it is a bird of the more open forest, and is partial to trees along the 

 margins of small streams. Contrary to my experience with T. axillaris, I 

 found this form inclined to be gregarious, finding upon one occasion at 

 Buenos Aires a small flock, containing about four or five pairs. This 



