FAMILY THRAUPIDAE 



443 



Resident. Common on the entire Pacific slope in the lowlands and 

 in partially cleared foothills, occasionally up to 1620 m, where it has 

 been collected on Volcan de Chiriqui (Blake, Fieldiana: Zool., vol. 36, 

 no. 5, 1958, pp. 566-567) ; less common on the Caribbean slope, where 

 it is absent in Bocas del Toro. 



In Panama, the nesting season runs from January to at least July. 

 Skutch (Pac. Coast Avif., no. 31, 1934, pp. 166-175) has found nests 

 with young in the Canal Zone from February 19 to May 17, and L. L. 

 Jewel found a nest there with two eggs on June 11 (Stone, Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 70, 1918, p. 278). Ridgely (in litt.) saw 

 a male repeatedly carrying food to a dense shrubby border on July 24, 

 1975. Some pairs may attempt to rear two or three broods in a season. 

 The female builds the nest alone, although she may be accompanied by 

 her mate. The nest is placed in a shrub or tree, from 1.3 to 5 m from 

 the ground. It is cup shaped and made of twigs, bits of bark, rootlets, 

 grasses, and dead leaves, lined with fine rootlets. Two eggs are laid; 

 they are light blue, thickly marked at the larger end with black spots 

 and scrawls. Average measurements of four eggs are 22.4 and 17.1 mm 

 (Skutch, Auk, 1945, p. 25). The incubation period is 12 days. The 

 young are born with pink skin and sparse, long, gray down; they are 

 fed berries by both parents and leave the nest at approximately 1 1 days 

 of age. Young of the season's earlier broods may remain in their 

 parents' territory and continue to be fed even after the parents have 

 begun caring for another brood. 



RAMPHOCELUS DIMIDIATUS LIMATUS Bangs 



Ramphocelus limatus Bangs, 1901, Auk, 18, p. 31. (San Miguel Island, Panama.) 



Characters. — Very similar to nominate dimidiatus, but in the male 

 the black of the belly is reduced and the reds, particularly of the rump, 

 are more scarlet, less orange. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from the Pearl Islands), wing 71.3-79.4 

 (75.5), tail 64.9-71.4 (67.4), oilmen from base 16.0-17.9 (16.9), tarsus 

 17.9-20.0 (18.8) mm. 



Females (9 from the Pearl Islands), wing 71.0-76.5 (73.4) , tail 65.5- 

 70.6 (67.8) , culmen from base 15.7-17.7 ( 16.5 ) , tarsus 18.2-19.8 ( 18.8) 

 mm. 



Resident. Common in the Pearl Archipelago, off the Pacific coast 

 of Panama, on Isla del Rey (San Miguel), San Jose, Pedro Gonzalez, 

 Canas, Saboga, Santelmo, Bayonita, and Isleta Malaga. On my visits to 

 the Pearl Islands, in 1944, 1946, and 1960, this tanager was numerous 



