FAMILY PTILOGONATIDAE 



165 



CATHARUS GRACILIROSTRIS BENSONI Griscom 



Catharus gracilirostris bensoni Griscom, Amer. Mus. Nov., no. 141, October 31, 

 1924, p. 7. (Cerro Flores, 6000 ft, eastern Chiriqui, Panama.) 



Characters. — Forehead blackish brown; rest of upper surface dark 

 reddish brown; band across breast dark reddish brown. 



Measurements. — Male (1 from Cerro Flores, Chiriqui, the type 

 specimen), wing 68.9, tail 62.8, culmen from base 15.3, tarsus 30.5 mm. 



Females (2 from eastern Chiriqui), wing 68.0-69.0 (68.5), tail 59.7- 

 62.7 (61.2), culmen from base 14.2-15.0 (14.6), tarsus 29.7-31.8 

 (30.8) mm. 



Resident. Known from the highlands of eastern Chiriqui, where 

 in 1927 Benson collected a male and female for Griscom at 2000 m in 

 Cerro Flores and where R. H. Pine collected two at 1800 m on Cerro 

 Bollo, 23 km north-northeast of San Felix. 



[This race was described by Griscom from a small series taken on 

 Cerro Flores in easternmost Chiriqui. Most authors have not recog- 

 nized it and it was considered to be a synonym of accentor in the origi- 

 nal draft of this manuscript. Subsequently, however, R. H. Pine 

 collected 2 specimens on the Chiriqui-Bocas del Toro border 23 km 

 north-northeast of San Felix, Chiriqui, on June 16, 1980, that necessi- 

 tate a reappraisal of this form. These specimens are from very near the 

 type locality of bensoni and were preserved in alcohol, from which one 

 was prepared as a skin. This specimen is much darker and more rufous 

 dorsally than accentor and has a much darker, fuscous crown. The 

 colors do not appear to have been affected by alcohol, which if anything 

 usually causes fading and lightening in color. The fresh specimen 

 matches Griscom' s original description of bensoni exactly, whereas the 

 type series of bensoni, although still distinguishable from accentor, 

 shows somewhat less pronounced differences, suggesting that they may 

 have been affected by aging. In any case, from the evidence available 

 now it would appear that the race bensoni is quite distinct and should 

 be maintained. S.L.O.] 



Family PTILOGONATIDAE: Solitaires and Silky-flycatchers, 

 Solitarios y Dorales Sedosos 



These attractive birds form an assemblage that may or may not be 

 related. The solitaires usually are placed in the Turdidae, but Sibley 

 (Auk, 1973, p. 394-410), after a review of past analyses and an exami- 



