merous, secured a score or more sets of eggs,

I did not take.

My observations are so much

scription of these nests in the "History of No

Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, that I will quote

giving my experience. "Their nests are using. I the only pair of these small sticks or coarse stems, with little or no placed in low bushes, usually above the upper

I found none without a lining, either of gr roots, or bark. There was a marked depress pression varying from one inch to two and o taken, the lowest was four feet from the groun eight feet, averaging, I think, five and one-half

in a variety of places-prickly-pear cactus, Sp-ray

and most commonly in the dense undergrowth
I saw no nest of this bird in an exposed po
branches". Its usual position is in the very h

selected, and, like most of the nests of this regio

detached from the thorny bushes without fallin birds and nests of only three Thrushes, viz: bird; H. curvirostris, Curve-billed Thrush; and sideration; and I doubt very much the ability tell one nest from the other, either by structure complement of eggs is four; in fact, I found bu eggs are marked very much like those of H. ru are hardly distinguishable from them. The ty color of the faintest greenish-white, and is fine brown, the dotting being thickest at the larger obtained with the ground-color yellowish-white, as to have a general color of ochre. One set is led thickly only in the form of a wreath at th very sparsely and faintly marked. The shape all the Thrushes'; but I have one egg shaped ex The largest egg was 1.12 by 0.84, and the sma average length was 1.07, and breadth 0.78.

and especial and lign

the split fo

my ent De damess of

134-9-11.62 x 13.50 x 4.12 x 4.75.
297-9-11.50 x 13.25 x 4.00 x 5.00.
383-9-11.00 x 13.00 x 3.85 x 5.00.

HARPORHYNCHUS CURVIROSTRIS, (Sw.) Cab.-C This Thrush, though frequently seen, is not so tris (Long-billed Thrush), and is readily distinguis meet with it until we reached Brownsville, on first day at that place, it was seen about the brush the city. The bird is very retiring in its habits, ne two being seen together, and even less inclined to s than its near relative, H. longirostris. I do not r

SAXICOLIDÆ.

SIALIA SIALIS, (L.) Haldeman.-Bluebird.

On May 3, in the vicinity of Hidalgo, I shot the only pair of these birds seen on the Rio Grande. I first shot the male, and, while picking it up, its mate, with dry grasses in its mouth, flew into an old Woodpecker's hole, in a dead stub near by, and was soon secured. 348—8—7.25 x 12.50 x 3.85 x 2.62. May 3, Hidalgo.

SYLVIIDE.

POLIOPTILA CORULEA, (L.) Sclat.-Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

I have no knowledge of seeing this bird more than once or twice, and no specimens were obtained. A handsome nest and clutch of eggs were taken by Dr. Merrill in April in the vicinity of Brownsville.

PARIDE.

LOPHOPHANES ATROCRISTATUS, Cass.-Black-crested Titmouse.

These lively and sweet singers were everywhere abundant, especially in old lagoon-beds, now largely grown up with the mesquite and lignum vitæ. Although so common, we were unable to find their eggs. The only nest discovered contained young, and was situated in the split fork of a tree, some ten or twelve feet from the ground. The exact number of young could not be determined, but there were certainly five or six. On May 3d, I came upon a whole family, the young of which had nearly obtained their growth. I shot one adult and five young, and at least three young escaped. One day, while riding along the river road, a song new to me and beautifully sweet and clear greeted my ear. Dismounting, I followed the sound into the forest. The clearness of the whistling song, the locality, and the careful concealment of the bird led me to feel sure of a species new to me. At the very first sight I fired. That song cost a fine male Black-crested Tit his life. Had I suspected him to have been the singer, I would gladly have spared the bird, as my bag was already filled.

AURIPARUS FLAVICEPS, (Sund.) Bd.-Yellow-headed Titmouse.

My first knowledge of the existence of this bird in the vicinity was the finding of a new nest on April 28th; but it contained no eggs, and

was not recognized at the time. The next day I went to the nest, found one egg in it, and saw both parents. While the female was darting in and out of the thicket, evidently alarmed at my close proximity to her treasure, the male was flitting from tree to tree, on the topmost branches, singing as hard as he could. I watched them both for at least half an hour, when they disappeared.

Allowing five days to complete their complement of eggs, I again visited the nest. I cautiously approached and shook the bush, but no bird flew out of the nest. Thereupon I inserted my finger in the small opening on the side of the nest, and I could feel three eggs, and what I thought were some loose feathers. Imagine my surprise and fright upon withdrawing my finger at something flying out of the nest, directly into my face. It was the female. A few cries of alarm, and responses from her mate, and they were out of sight before I could reach my gun. | Again carefully examining the nest, I very plainly felt four eggs. I wanted the birds as well as the eggs, and decided to leave them until another day, when I would secure all. Fatal mistake! for when it was next visited the female flew out of the nest before we reached it, was fired at, and missed. I, however, shot the male, and then went for the nest, but, lo! it was empty-not the least vestige of an egg! Nothing, in my opinion, could have removed the eggs but the bird itself. It was owing, in all probability, to the disturbance and fright of the previous visit. But why was she back in the nest? About this time three eggs were discovered in another nest, and when visited the day after they were also gone. We were very careful in examining lest we should disturb the eggs. Can it be possible that with the least touch the parent bird abandons her eggs? Two nests that we found had been torn open from above, evidently by some Jay or other robber. Out of the six new nests found between April 28 and May 10 we were only able to obtain one egg, and that was probably an infertile one, as the balance of the clutch had hatched and taken their departure. One nest was brought me on May 1 with three young about ready to leave. Their nests are simply wonderful, far excelling, to my mind, all other bird architecture of our fauna. Think of the size, varying from four to ten inches in diameter; then think of the size of the bird, but little larger than a Hummingbird! The shape is like a bottle, or, better still, a retort, with the mouth at one side and inclining downward. I found the nests built on and around one (in one instance two) horizontal branch. The body is composed of thorny twigs interwoven with wood-moss, grass, and bark. The lining is of the softest down and feathers, not loosely thrown in, but woven into a sort of matting, covering not only the whole of the interior body of the retort, or nest proper, but also the neck to the very mouth. The distance from the mouth to the eggs is sometimes six inches. The place selected is usually the extremity of a branch of an exposed bush, and easily approached. The highest nest was six feet, the lowest less than three feet from the ground. There they swing, free

to every "norther", until they fall to pieces from decay. The only locality in which we found their nests was open chaparral, on that high ground where the cactus and a thorny, leafless bush, the junco, abound, and where are scattered at intervals clumps of trees of respectable growth, among which is the dark green ebony. The birds, though occasionally seen, are by no means abundant. The shape of the single egg secured is pointed at one end, rounded at the other, the greatest diameter being nearer one end.. It is pale blue, speckled very thickly at the large end with reddish-brown, but sparsely elsewhere. It measures 0.63 by 0.44 of an inch.

376-4.12 x 6.75 x 1.56 x 1.75. May 6, Hidalgo.
415--4.62 x 6.75 x 2.05 x 2.00. May 10, Hidalgo.

TROGLODYTIDE.

THRYOTHORUS LUDOVICIANUS BERLANDIERI,* (Couch) Cs.-Berlandier's Wren.

Common on the Lower Rio Grande, frequenting uninhabited places near woodland, more especially the dead trees bordering the timber and lagoons. I found, however, one brood of young, just off the nest, in the dense woods near a bridle-path. I did not secure many specimens, for the reason that, at the time, I supposed them all ludovicianus. Had I suspected that they would prove to be berlandieri, I should have taken a larger number. Many were shot, but, as they showed no variation from those retained, and as I had many recognized rare birds to take care of, they were not preserved. My experience with the Wrens about Hidalgo is, that bewicki and this variety are the ones found breeding commonly. This bird breeds near the ground, seldom higher than five feet, in hollow trees, stubs, and even dead limbs lying on the ground. By the first of May, the young were about with the parents; at the same time perfectly fresh eggs were taken. Three sets of fresh eggs were secured, all from the same locality, where there seemed to be quite a colony of these birds breeding, many having families of young. Two of the sets were alike in color and markings. Of these, one (a set of five) was taken May 1st from an opening four feet from the ground, in a hollow tree, and given, less one egg, which was broken, to Dr. Merrill; the other (a set of four) was taken May 7th from a rotten tree lying on the ground, the nest being only two feet from the ground; this was given to Dr. Brewer. Dr. Brewer writes me in regard to his set, that "they differ from my four sets of ludovicianus in being smaller, in having ground-color clear white instead of pink, the spots larger and less * [The specimens are rather puzzling, being intermediate between ludovicianus proper and the full development of berlandieri. Some of them, however, exhibit unmistakably he dark-barred flanks, longer bill, and other characters dwelt on by Baird in his diag. nosis of berlandieri, to which form it may be proper to refer the whole lot, especially as Mr. Sennett's field observations do not indicate any differences among the larger Wrens of this locality.-E. C.]