592 BIRDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA PART 4 



quite similar to costaricensis. The most extreme example in this series 

 (USNM no. 207563) would in fact be difficult to separate from certain 

 individuals of costaricensis. Specimens from Cana, Darien, although 

 referred here to atricapillus, retain slight traces of the crown stripes. In 

 summary, the populations of Atlapetes torquatus in the eastern half of 

 Panama form a nearly perfectly graded series between costaricensis of 

 western Panama and Costa Rica, and atricapillus of South America. 

 There can be no doubt that all belong to a single species. 



This is a shy bird, probably less uncommon than it seems in the dense 

 thickets of forests and borders of the foothills and lower highlands. I 

 have always found it very secretive. Of 2 collected at Cana by E. A. 

 Goldman, the stomach of one held remains of 2 species of ant, about 10 

 individuals 45%, elytra and legs of a curculionid 5%, broken bits of 

 starchy seeds with a hard outer covering 50%; the other contained bits 

 of thorax of an acridid with other fragments 5%, 3 calandris 10%, a 

 curculionid 8%, bits of an elaterid 2%, carabid remains 5%, ant remains 

 15%, bits of a bee 15%, fragments of seeds 40%. Skutch (Pac. Coast 

 Avif. no. 31, 1954, p. 88) has observed them eating decaying leaves, 

 perhaps for a fungus growth they contain. 



The only vocalization I have ever heard is an occasional low churring 

 given by a pair moving behind dense cover. Skutch has heard a very 

 thin, high, squeaky song given from a low perch by both males and fe- 

 males and a sharp, metallic call note. It sings from February to No- 

 vember. 



ATLAPETES TORQUATUS COSTARICENSIS (Bangs) 



Buarremon costaricensis Bangs, 1907, Auk, 24, p. 310. (Boruca, Costa Rica.) 

 Characters. — Gray stripes on crown broad. 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Chiriqui and Costa Rica), wing 

 77.0-87.0 (84.3), tail 69.8-84.5 (76.9), oilmen from base 16.9-19.2 

 (18.0), tarsus 22.5-29.3 (26.8) mm. 



Females (6 from Chiriqui and Costa Rica), wing 74.0-82.5 (78.6), 

 tail 68.9-77.0 (71.9), oilmen from base 17.1-17.6 (17.4), tarsus 23.4- 

 28.7 (26.7) mm. 



Resident. Uncommon and local in the foothills and lower highlands 

 of western Chiriqui between 600 and 1500 m. I have encountered it at 

 El Volcan at 1320 m and at Santa Clara at 1230 m. It has also been 

 collected at Bugaba (240 m), Concepcion (450 m), and El Banco 

 (1050 m) . Ridgely (in litt. ) knows of no reports for this race since the 

 early 1970's, despite the increase of bird- watching activity in the area 



