FAMILY COEREBIDAE 



509 



The conebill inhabits forests and woodland borders where it usually 

 feeds high in the tree tops. Both Griscom ( Amer. Mus. Novit. no. 282, 

 1927, p. 9) and I found them in the tops of giant cuipo (Cavanillesia) 

 trees. Eisenmann (in litt.) has observed it in the Bayano River Valley 

 (Altos de Maje), eastern Province of Panama, and at Santa Fe, 

 Darien; the birds were usually in pairs in medium to high elevations of 

 trees, but not always on cuipo trees. Ridgely (in litt.) has seen this 

 species only once, a pair in a patch of remnant forest dominated by 

 cuipos, along the Tuira River below Boca de Cupe, Darien. The 

 birds were feeding on cuipo flowers and new leaves. The White- 

 eared Conebill appears to be confined to this type of deciduous forest, 

 as it seems to be absent from the more humid forest (without cuipos) 

 upriver from Boca de Cupe. The two times I have seen this species — 

 at the mouth of the Rio Tuquesa, Darien, on April 3, 1959, and at El 

 Real, Darien, on January 24, 1964 — it has been in flocks of 5 or 6 that 

 searched the flowers heads in tree crowns. They are also seen in mixed 

 flocks with orioles and tanagers (Ridgely, 1976, p. 288). So far as 

 I know, nothing has been published on the breeding biology of this 

 species. 



CYANERPES LUCIDUS ISTHMICUS Bangs: Shining Honeycreeper, 

 Mielero Resplandeciente 



Cyanerpes lucidus isthmicus Bangs, Auk, 1917, p. 306. (Paso Real, Costa Rica.) 



Very small; long, decurved bill; male with black lores, throat, chest, 

 wings, and tail black, rest of body (including sides of head) blue; legs 

 yellow; female mostly bright yellowish green, side of face and breast 

 streaked bright blue, legs green. 



Description. — Length 95-101 mm. Adult male, lores, throat, chest, 

 wings, tail, and thighs black; rest of body bright dark blue, lighter on 

 head. 



Adult female, crown and auriculars dull grayish blue; rest of upper 

 surface bright green, lighter on rump and upper tail coverts; throat, 

 center of belly, and undertail coverts buff-yellow; thin stripe on side of 

 throat blue, flecked with white; breast finely striped blue and buff- 

 yellow; sides and flanks bright green; underwing coverts buff-yellow. 



A male collected at the Peluca Hydrographic Station, Panama, on 

 February 19, 1961, had the iris dark brown; bill black; tarsus and toes 

 bright yellow; claws black. A female taken at Armila, San Bias, on 

 February 28, 1963, had the tarsus and toes bright yellowish green. On 



