No. 483] 



WOOD RAILS NORTH OF PANAMA 



179 



of A. axillaris, nearly full grown but with ihv niulcr j)aits still 

 brownish slate-color, from Costa Rica. Uiifortiiiiatcly the label 

 bears nothing more definite than "Costa Rica." While certainly 

 very rare in southern Central America, 1 still believe .J . axillaris 

 has a continuous range. It is a rare species in northern South 

 America, and seems to be nowhere so plentiful as in the region 

 lying between southern Mexico and Honduras. At all events I 

 can detect no difference between northern and southern speci- 



Characters. Size small; bill short; under wing-coverts 

 banded blackish and white; neck and head, except throat, ru- 

 fous-chestnut; a conspicuous gray patch occupying upper inter- 

 scapular region and lower hind neck. 



Color, Adult plumage. Throat white; head, neck and 

 breast bright rufous-chestnut; upper interscapular region and 

 lower hind neck gray (about slate gray); back, wing-coverts 

 and wings except primaries and secondaries, olive; rmnp i)r()wn- 

 ish black; tail and upper and under tall-coverts, black; belly 

 and thighs slate-color; ])riuiaries hazel; secondaries also hazel 

 but duller, more dusky toward ti})s; under wini; covert> and 

 axillars banded black and white; bend of wing an<l tips of axilla rs 

 usually banded black and ha/el; "tarsus vermilion; b<>ak un'«'ii, 

 basal portion yellow; iris brown."' 



Young differ from adults in having the neck and muler parts 

 dull slate-color, and the characteristic gray patch on lower hind 

 neck and upper back less distinct though still evident. 



