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Mixed Diglossini, May 12, 1965, II.  (28)

^[[Gen]] small region - than in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia - an appreciably larger region. But it is characteristic of the Sierra de Mérida that some species are extremely rare, e.g. [[underlined]] lafresnayei [[/underlined]], while only one or two species are really common in any given area (e.g. Albi and Glor). Thus, ecological segregation [[underlined]] may [[/underlined]] be more pronounced in the Sierra de Mérida than in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia.

The obvious corollary of this general rule is that small regions will have fewer species than large regions ([[underlined]] not [[/underlined]] just a smaller number of individuals of the same species).

^[[Gen]] (It may be mentioned, in this connection that the small Chiriqui-Costa Region contains only one species of Diglossa. The small Santa Marta region also lacks one or more of the characteristic Andean species.)

^[[Gen]] The differences in social organization between non-commensal Diglossini of different regions may be the [[underlined]] result [[/underlined]] of the fact that fewer species survive in small regions (some species being eliminated for any one or all of several conceivable reasons). And/or a [[underlined]] cause [[/underlined]] of the survival of fewer species in small regions.

In all regions, there must be both advantages and disadvantages to disputing with competing species. Elimination of a competitor [[underlined]] vs [[/underlined]] time  "wasted" in disputes.

^[[Gen]] Perhaps in small regions, the advantages to be gained are relatively greater than in large regions. The populations must be small in small regions. Perhaps, in small regions, an individual of one species can hope to eliminate another species by disputing with only a few individuals of the latter. In large regions, however, it seems likely that more and more individuals of the other species would keep "drifting in"