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matic example of a trend that has been noted for with firm rocky faces extend farther north, and we several other species, which have either increased the would expect to find phoebes as far north as the density of peripheral breeding populations or have appropriate cliff structure permits. Cade (unpubl. expanded northward on the Arctic Slope in recent data) found phoebes nesting several times around years: Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis maculuriu), Yellow Lake Peters at 69”20 ’ N between 1959 and 1963. Warbler ( Dendroica petechia), Gray-cheeked Thrush Of the three members of the genus Sayornis, the (Catharus minima), Northern Shrike (Lunius ercubitor), Eastern Phoebe (Suyornis phoebe) occurs in the Arctic Warbler ( Phylloscopus borealis), Gray Jay deciduous forests and temperate climate of eastern ( Perisoreus canadensis ) , and Wheatear (Oenunthe and central North America, the Black Phoebe (S. oenunthe). Conspicuous avenues of dispersal for most nigticuns) is essentially a low temperate to sub- of these species would be up the south-flowing John tropical species occurring as far south as northwestern or Alatna rivers, across low passes to the adjacent Argentina, and the Says’ Phoebe seemingly occupies headwaters of the north-flowing Killik, and/or up the widest range of habitats from the xeric regions the south-flowing Aniuk River to the adjacent head- of northwestern M&co to the Arctic tundras. Mayr waters of the north-flowing Etivluk. (1964, op. cit.) has suggested that the family The northern limits of the phoebe as a breeding Tyrannidae represents what he terms an “expanding bird are closely associated with the northern dis- South American” group that has become geographi- tributional limits of solid, relatively stable, shale or cally widespread after having probably originated in sandstone-limestone cliff structure, approximately at tropical Central or South America. The genus 69” N. In the western part of arctic Alaska, William- Sayornis (seemingly of a subtemperate to sub- son et al. (Pp. 437480 in: N. J. Wilimovsky and tropical origin) expresses the “expanding” nature or J. N. Wolfe, Environment of the Cape Thompson colonizing and dispersing abilities of the group through region, Alaska, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the species suyu. Div. of Tech. Inform.. PNE-481. 1966) found a nest Says’ Phoebe may have been able to establish itself on a sea cliff at Cape Thompsdn, ca. 68”08‘ ’ N; and in the arctic tundras, with their periodic spells of Childs (Biol. Pap. Univ. Alaska, No. 10, 1969) found freezing summer weather, for two reasons: the pres- one on the Pitmegea River at ca. 68”50 ’ N in 1959. ence of cliffs that provide the essentials of the nesting In 1970, the northernmost pair on the Sagavanirktok habitat; and its habit of foraging frequently on the River was near the confluence with Lupine River, ground and on the talus slopes of the river banks for ca. 69”05 ’ N (White and J. Streater, unpubl. data), invertebrates (e.g., spiders or sluggish insects) during and the northernmost pair on the Canning River, was freezing and snowy spells when the flying insects most on the east-central part of the slope, ca. 69”45 ’ N utilized by the flycatchers are scarce. (White and W. R. Spofford, unpubl. data). Eastward from the Canning River, mountains and foothills Accepted for publication 26 May 1972.

A REVIEW OF THE WHITE-BREASTED southern populations averaged more rufescent above, WOODWRENS OF Mf3XICO AND could see no differences in the crown stripes between Mexican and Costa Rican individuals and considered CENTRAL AMERICA tropueu to be a synonym of prostheleucu. He did not state the museum age of the specimens examined, nor whether he realized the extent of foxing in this ROBERT W. DICKERMAN species. Department of Microbiology Cornell University Medical College Recently, while labeling a specimen from Son- 1300 York Avenue tecomapan, Veracruz, and one from near , Peten, New York, New York 10021 Guatemala, I was amazed at the dramatic differences in dorsal coloration, the Veracruz bird being deep brown and the Peten specimen a paler grayish brown. The White-breasted Wood Wren (Henicorhina leu- On assembling additional recently taken material, I cost&u) inhabits the undergrowth of semi-humid to found that the Peten population represents an un- wet tropical forests from south to Colombia described subspecies and that to make the systematics and Brazil. The populations of MCxico and Central of the species consistent in Central America another America have been divided into three forms: H. 1. form from must be described. The Mexican prostheleuca ( Sclater) of eastern Mkxico, British and Central American forms of the White-breasted Honduras, and all but easternmost Guatemala; H. 2. Wood Wren, based on relatively unfoxed specimens tropuea (Bangs and Peters) of the Caribbean coastal collected in the last 20 years, are summarized below. areas of easternmost Guatemala through Honduras, There are no differences in extent of white ventral Nicaragua, and most of Costa Rica; and H. 1. pittieri coloration. (Cherrie) which occurs in the Golfo Dulce region of Costa Rica and on the Pacific slopes of PanamL, east- Henicorhinu leucostictu prostheleucu ward to the Canal Zone (ranges as presented by Scytulopus prostheleucus Sclater (“1856”) Paynter 1960 ) . Russell ( 1964 ) found much individual variation within the birds of (), Type locality. Cordoba, Veracruz, M6xico. but considered them to belong to H. 1. prostheleuca. Diagnosis. Brownest (grayer, less rufous) dorsally Land (1970) summarized the ranges: “H. 1. pros- and on crown of Central American forms. theleucu, Mexico to Belice; [in Guatemala] in the Range. Tropical moist forests of Mgxico extending Pet&n only; H. 1. tropaeu, lowlands of Chiapas to across the southern Peten of Guatemala into Belize. Panama. . . .” Monroe ( 1968), while noting that the Intergrading with tropueu in eastern Guatemala 362 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

(Solola and Izabal) (Traylor 1949). For further Costa Rica the situation is further complicated by a discussion see below under H. 1. tropaea. distinct population of the humid Caribbean slope of Limon and Provinces which may be known Henicorhina leucosticta smithei, new subspecies as:

Type. Adult male No. 802487 American Museum Henicorhina leucosticta costariccnsis, of Natural Historv: collected 5.5 km E. 6 km SSE new subsnecies San Benito, DepaGtment of Peten, Guatemala, 8 April Tylje. Adult (?) male No. 32665, Louisiana State lQG6, by Robert W. Dickerman (original field mlmbrr IJniversity Museum of Zoology; collected at , RWD 13,713). Cartago Province, Costa Rica, 9 November 1963, by Diagnosis. Palest dorsally and on flanks of the D. G. Huckaby (original field number DGH 67). Central American forms; less rufous than topotypes Diagnosis. Generally uniformly dark “chocolate of tropaea; more sandy-colored than Veracruz pros- brown” dorsally, but always darker and usually less theleuca, grayer dorsally than pit&%, and with rufescent than other Central American populations. grayish brown rather than a rich reddish wash on Similar in size to prostheleucu and tmpuea. crown. Similar in size to l,rostheleuca and tropuea. Range. Cartago Province (Turrialba, El Sauce, Range. The central Peten of Guatemala and the , and Jabillos ); Limon Province (Cariari and southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mkxico between Manila and Bataan). intergrading with prostheleuca in northern Belize A total of 14 specimens has been examined from Orange Walk District and in extreme southern ( ), the localities cited above. The series of five speci- . mens from the type locality shows some individual This race is named for Frank B. Smithe in appreci- variation, but the reddest specimen (LSU 32666) is ation for his contribr[tion to our knowledge of the darker than any of the Guanacaste series of tropueu, avifauna of Guatemala. while one bird from Tilaran, Guanacaste (LSU In making color comparisons, only specimens taken 32570 ), is nearly as dark as the series of co&ricer&s. after 1940 were utilized due to foxing, which increases The reddest specimen of costuricensis(Museum of the rufous tones in this species. A series of 7 speci- Zoology, Univ. Mich. 133063) was taken between mens from Uaxactun, only 18 km N of Tikal, collected Manila and Bataan, Limon, on 25 May 1951, later in in April 1933, shows a dramatic reddening dorsally, the year than the rest of the series. whereas the type_ is similar to the 13 specimens from Tikal collected in 1957-59. Five specimens from Henicorhina lezccostictapittieri southern and Quintana Roo in the Peabody Museum, Yale University, are generally pale and Henicorhina pittieri Cherrie ( 1893 ) represent smithei. In a series of three from Agua Type locality. Boruca, Puntatenas Arenas Province, Blanca, Rio Hondo, on the Belize-Quintana Roo Costa Rica. border, one specimen is dark, indicating spread of Diugnosis. Rich reddish brown; strong concolor prosthelezccu characters northward through the more wash on nape and crown redder; averages larger than humid areas of Belize. other Central American and Mexican forms. Range. Southwestern Costa Rica and the Pacific Henicorhinu lemosticta tropueu slope of Panam& east to the Canal Zone. Henicorhinu leucostictu tropueu Bangs and Peters Specimens from Chiriqui, Panamh, are typical (1927) pittieri. Specimens from the Panama Canal Zone, while closer to pittieri, having a strong wash on the Tune. localit!/. La Viiagua, Guanacaste, Costa Rica crown, are paler and represent intergrades with H. 1. Diagnosis. -Like p&theZ&u but m&e rufescent darienensis, a bright-backed form lacking or with a dorsally. greatly redllced wash on the crown. The wing chord Range. In typical form appears restricted to Guana- and culmen from nostril measurements in millimeters caste, Costa Rica; but intermediates occur north to for six male pittieri were 57-61 (59), 12.1-12.2 eastern Guatemala. ( 12.2 ); for six female pittieri, 53-57 (55 ) and 10.6- The bills of Costa Rican birds are not consistently 12.0 (ll.l), respectively. The wing chords for other larger contrary to the suggestion of Traylor ( 1949). Central American populations average 55-56 mm for The chest and breast of both l?rostheleuca and trol,aecl males, 52-53 for females. The culmen from nostril are pure white, except in soiled or worn specimens measurements average 10.5-11.4 (males) and 9.6- (contrary to Bangs and Peters 1927). 10.7 (females). A series of six birds recently taken from and Guanacaste, and nine from Volcan Rincon de la I wish to express my gratitude to the curators of Vieja, Guancaste, collected in 1940 (Wetmore) are the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Uni- uniformly more rufous dorsally than series from other versity; Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Central American or Mexican localities. Were Guana- Los Angeles; Louisiana State University, Museum of caste isolated, tropueu would be considered a dis- Zoology; Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan; tinctive race. However, as cited above, some speci- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian mens from the Caribbean lowlands of Guatemala Institution; and the American Museum of Natural are somewhat more rufescent and thus intennediate History for the loan of materials or access to col- toward tropuea, while series from Honduras and lections in their care. Alexander Wetmore and Allan Nicaragua include some individuals that match the R. Phillips kindly permitted me to examine unreported Guanacaste series. Thus although the rufous character materials from their collections. Alexander Wetmore, is clinal northward, the cline is stepped in eastern Kenneth C. Parkes, and Eugene Eisenmann reviewed Guatemala. Although not entirely satisfactory, I the specimens with me, although the taxonomic judg- consider it best to maintain tropueu rather than com- ments are my own. Collecting permits for the United bining such dissimilar series as those from Guanacaste States of Mkxico were provided by the Departamento and Veracruz under the same trinomial. Within de Conservation de la Fauna Silvestre. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 363

LITERATURE CITED PAYNTER, R. A., JR. 1960. no title, Family Trog- lodytidae. In E. Mayr and J. C. Greenway, Jr. BANGS, O., AND J. L. PETERS. 1927. Birds from the Checklist of the birds of the world 9:379-440. rain forest region of Veracruz. Bull. Mus. Camp. RUSSELL, S. M. 1964. A distributional study of the 2001. 67:471-487. birds of British Honduras. A.O.U. Monogr. no. CHERRIE, 6. K. 1893. Exploraciones zoologicas ef- 1. 195 p. fectuadas en laparte meridional de Costa Rica SCLATER, P. L. “1856.” Catalogue of the birds col- por 10s anos de 1891-92. I. Aves. Anal. Inst. lected by M. Auguste Salle in southern Mexico, Geog. Mus. Nat. Costa Rica 4:133-148. with descriptions of new species. Proc. Zool. LAND, H. 1970. Birds of Guatemala. Livingston Sot. Lond. 24:283-311. Publ. Co., Wynnewood, Pa. 381 p. TRAYLOR, M. A., JR. 1949. Notes on some Veracruz MONROE, B. L., JR. 1968. A distributional survey birds. Fieldiana 31: 269-275. of the birds of Honduras. A.O.U. Monogr. no. 7. 458 p. Accepted for publication 16 October 1972.

FOUR NEW MIGRANTS FOR present at Monteverde during four consecutive winter COSTA RICA seasons: 1968-69, 1969-70,- 1970-71, and 1971-72. The range in elevation of my sightings was from 1390 to 1540 m along the transition between Lower Mon- WILLIAM H. BUSKIRK tane Wet and Lower Montane Rain Forest zones in Department of Zoology the vicinity of Monteverde. With the exception of University of California Davis, California 95616 two or three birds in isolated broad-leaf pasture trees, all individuals were found in edge situations, in or close by Guatemalan cypress plantings. Most Monte- Sightings of four species of migrant passerines not verde sightings were of fall-plumaged birds in which previously recorded from Costa Rica (Slud 1964; extensive yellow on the underparts and dark auriculars Orians and Paulson 1969: Dickerman 1971) are were used as primary field marks for their identifica- reported here. tion. A few spring birds were in plumages inter- Vireo solitarius. Solitary Vireo. George V. N. mediate between those of winter and summer. Most Powell saw a bird of this species at Monteverde, Townsends’ Warblers occurred in loose associations Province, in the Cordillera de Tilaran in with other wintering migrants, usually with Black- northwestern Costa Rica on 8 January 1971. The site throated Green and Wilsons’ ( Wilsoniu jr&la) was at 1510 m in Lower Montane Rain Forest (Hold- Warblers. ridge 1967). The vireo attended a small mixed flock Elsewhere in Costa Rica, James Richardson (pers. containing Golden-crowned Warblers ( Basileuterus comm.) observed a single singing male in “brilliant culiciuorus) and Common Bush-Tanagers (Chloro- nuptial plumage . . . well up on the slope” of Voldn spingus ophthalmicus). I saw a lone bird, perhaps Irazu, Cartago Province, on 30 March 1969. The the same individual, at the same location on 15 March bird was feeding in a small clump of evergreen oaks in 1971. The bird had a gray helmet, white lores and a cow pasture. I saw a single winter-plumaged bird eye-ring ( = spectacles), white throat, olive back, working pasture trees at a site 1 km N of Ranch0 yellow wash on the flanks, and a heavy Vireo bill. Redondo, San Jose Province, elevation 1950 m on 8 This species has not previously been reported south January 1972. These are the only records from the of Nicaragua (Eisenmann 1955), where it is rarely central plateau of the country. The southernmost encountered (T. R. Howell. uers. comm. ). and highest sighting of the species in Costa Rica was Dendroica occidentalis. ’ Hermit Warbler. Peter of a male observed by F. G. Stiles at 3150 m on Feinsinger and I observed a single individual foraging Cerro Chirrino. Limon Province. on 4 March 1972. low in a planted row of Guatemalan cypress (Cu- Stiles (pers.- &mm.) found “very large concentra- pressus Benthami Endl.) along a woods edge in tions of migratory warblers at high elevations” on that Monteverde on 20 October 1971. elevation 1450 m. date. The bird fed alone though several other migrants, Dolichonyx oryzioorus. Bobolink. I found a single including Townsends’ Warblers (Dendroica townsendi) fall-plumaged Bobolink at the mouth of the Rio and Black-throated Green Warblers ( Dendroica Nosara, approximately 4 km W of Nosara, Guana- sirens), were nearby. The bird was in immature or caste Province, on 7 October 1971. The bird perched female plumage and was identified by its gray crown, atop a hedge of Bromelia Pinguin L. on a grassy beach nape, and back; yellow cheeks with hint of dark ridge and gave the characteristic pink call note of the auriculars; unmarked white throat, chin, and under- saecies as it flew off. It was in a flock of about 30 parts. Numerous other North American migrants were seedeaters ( Sporophila sp. ). present on this date. Slud (1964), in his discussion of this species in Dendroicu townsendi. Townsends’ Warbler. I saw Costa Rica, stated: “It would not be at all umeason- this species frequently at Monteverde between 20 able to expect an occasional individual, especially October and 5 April. Largest numbers (as many as along the Caribbean slope, but there is no evidence six seen on 20 October 1971) and most frequent that the species has ever been seen or taken in Costa sightings occurred during the fall though a few birds Rica.” The present record is from the Pacific coast. were seen throughout the winter months. F. G. Stiles The presence of a tropical storm in the Caribbean at (pers. comm.) first observed the species at Monte- the time of this observation may be significant. Verde on 16 September 1968. This is the earliest Both warblers are known to winter rather commonly Costa Rican fall record. The bird was an “adult male” in the highland pine forest of northern Central foraging in second growth. Edmund Stiles found a America as far south as Nicaragua (Monroe 1968; bird there on 28 January 1970. The species was T. R. Howell, pers. comm.). No conifers are native