FAMILY TROGLODYTIDAE 



the race inquietus of Panama, somewhat less so from intermedins found 

 in Costa Rica. Three juveniles taken January 26, 1956, as they were 

 about to leave the nest, differ from those of similar age of inquietus. 



Measurements. — Males (11 from Isla Coiba), wing 51.4-53.5 (52.2), 

 tail 34.0-37.1 (35.5), culmen from base 16.9-19.1 (17.8), tarsus 18.6- 

 20.5 (19.4) mm. 



Females (2 from Isla Coiba) , 49.0-50.1 (49.5), tail 31.5-33.2 (32.3), 

 culmen from base 17.3-17.4 ( 17.3), tarsus 19.4-19.9 (19.6) mm. 



Resident. Coiba Island, prior to modern development, was heavily 

 forested almost throughout; in 1976 it was still 75 percent forested 

 (Ridgely in litt. ) The House Wren perforce was definitely a forest in- 

 habitant, far more so than in other areas of Panama, except in part in 

 the Pearl Islands. In Coiba, it was common in the lower growths near 

 the beaches and the swampy woodlands bordering the mangroves in 

 those areas. But also I found it regularly in undergrowth through the 

 high interior forests. There the birds were seen in the main around fal- 

 len trees or where undergrowth was covered with masses of vines. Only 

 occasionally did they appear to range higher in the trees. In these lo- 

 cations they remained under cover, while around the main buildings of 

 the penal colony they were less timid. In their usual activities their 

 songs, heard daily, were a constant pleasure. Ridgely {in litt.) finds 

 the song of this race richer and more melodic than that of mainland 

 forms. 



TROGLODYTES SOLSTITIALIS Sclater: Mountain Wren, 

 Cucarachero de Sierra 



Troglodytes solstitialis P.L. Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 26, 1858, p. 550. 

 (Matos and Pinipi, near Riobamba, Ecuador.) 



Small; smaller than Troglodytes aedon, with side of head and su- 

 perciliary line definitely brighter brown. 



Description. — Length 92-100 mm. Dull reddish brown above, and 

 in the line behind the eye; wings and tail narrowly barred with black; 

 undersurface centrally white; sides and flanks buffy brown; undertail 

 coverts buffy brown, barred narrowly with dusky. 



Two forms are recognized in the higher mountain areas of Panama, 

 one in Chiriqui, the other in Darien. Few specimens have been col- 

 lected. 



The Mountain Wrens from Costa Rica and Panama are sometimes 

 given species rank as T. ochraceus, Ochraceus Wren. Here they are 

 treated as subspecies of the South American T. solstitialis group found 

 in the high Santa Marta mountains of Colombia and the Andes to 



