540 



BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 4 



covered branches, often uttering low notes as they searched for food. 

 The clear song, rather cardinal-like in its tone, was the principal pleas- 

 ing bird note of the island, usually heard in contrast to the rasping call 

 of the elaenia (Elaenia flavogaster) . Their flight was rapidly tilting 

 and covered only short distances at a time. At the end of March, the 

 birds were about to nest. One taken March 16 was an immature barely 

 grown, with yellow-tipped bill, so that the breeding season may be ir- 

 regular. In December 1955, I spent a half day on Taboguilla Island, 

 off Taboga, but did not find this species, although it was common on 

 Taboga at the time. 



SALTATOR ALBICOLLIS SPERATUS Bangs and Penard 



Saltator striatipictus speratus Bangs and Penard, 1919, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 

 63, p. 33. (Saboga Island, Pearl Islands, Gulf of Panama.) 



Characters. — Similar in general appearance to S. a. striati pectus, 

 but with more pronounced yellowish green wash on undersurface; 

 slightly less heavily streaked. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from the Pearl Islands), wing 85.2-94.0 

 (89.5), tail 78.2-84.6 (80.9), culmen from base 18.1-20.0 (18.5), tar- 

 sus 21.9-24.3 (23.1) mm. 



Females (10 from the Pearl Islands), wing 85.3-91.6 (88.5), tail 

 75.7-83.2 (80.1), culmen from base 22.1-24.2 (22.7), tarsus 22.1-24.2 

 (22.7) mm. 



Resident. Common in woods and brushy areas on the Pearl Islands 

 in the Bay of Panama off the Pacific Coast, where it has been collected 

 on San Miguel (Rey), Saboga, Viveros, Santelmo, San Jose, and 

 Pedro Gonzales islands. On February 26, 1944, I saw a nearly full 

 grown young bird being fed by its parents on San Jose. 



This race most closely resembles S. a. striatipectus of eastern Darien 

 and Colombia; it is another indication of the affinity of the avifauna of 

 the Pearl Islands with northwestern South America. 



SALTATOR ALBICOLLIS STRIATIPECTUS Lafresnaye 



Saltator striatipictus (sic) Lafresnaye, 1847, Rev. Zool. [Paris], 10, p. 73. (Cali, 

 Valle de Cauca, Colombia.) 



Characters. — Undersurface clearly and predominantly white, with 

 little wash of yellowish green; streaking slightly grayer. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Darien and Colombia), wing 87.5- 

 100.3 (93.2), tail 78.3-90.1 (82.9), culmen from base 18.2-20.5 (19.1), 

 tarsus 21.5-24.7 (23.6) mm. 



