546 . CUCULIDZ. 
(Nutting), Blewfields (Wickham °), Escondido R. (Lichmond *°); Costa Rica (Hoff- 
mann 1, vy. Frantzius 16), San José (Carmiol }”, Boucard *!, Zeledon **, Cherrie *>), 
La Palma, V. de Irazu 28 (Nutting), Alajuela, Cartago (Zeledon **); PANAMA, - 
Calovevora, Castillo (Arcé 1"), Lion Hill (/‘Leannan 11).—CotomBia °° ; W. Ecua- 
por 33; Pru 33, | 
One of the most familiar birds in Central America is Crotophaga sulcirostris, occurring 
everywhere in open pastures and savanas and associating in small flocks with cattle, 
from which they pick the ticks adhering to their skins. It occurs beyond the Rio 
Grande, in Texas, where Mr. Sennett first noticed it at Lomita, and whence Mr. Arm- 
strong has sent us a series of specimens from Brownsville. Lower California is also 
included in its range. In South America it is found exclusively on the western side of 
the continent as far south as Peru. 
Writing concerning it in Western Mexico, Grayson says:—‘ This is a common resident 
species in this locality, and throughout the western terra caliente. Hight or ten 
birds associate together in small flocks, and are fond of picking the ticks off the 
cattle. The nest is usually built in a thorny tree or bush, at a moderate height, and 
composed of thorns and dry twigs exteriorly, and lined with fibrous roots ; the eggs are 
usually five, the outside of the shell is rough and white, the inside is green.” This 
note gives no indication that Grayson was aware of the fact of several birds laying 
in a common nest. This is made clear by Sefior Alfaro’s observations, as given by 
Mr. Cherrie *° :—“ The ‘ Zopilotillo’ is very abundant in the fields near Tambor (a little 
town about twenty miles north-west of San José), where, along the hedgerows and in 
the scrubby timber, as well as on the skins of cattle, they find those insects which 
constitute their food—the ticks, or garrapatas, which adhere to the head and neck and 
legs of the cattle. In this locality I have collected three nests in the month of May, 
the first with nine eggs, the second with eleven, the third with thirteen. The nests 
that I have collected agree with the observations made by Zeledon. ‘The structure is 
voluminous, composed chiefly of coarse dead twigs, but presents one peculiarity not 
observed in any other bird, viz. the nest being lined with fresh green leaves. My 
specimens were all placed in low trees, and none were ata greater height than three 
metres. One had been built above an old nest of one of the larger Tyrannide. On 
the 20th May I noticed a Zopilotillo with a dry stick in its bill, which was immediately 
carried to a hedgerow and deposited with three others. After assuring myself that the 
bird was building its nest there I retired, with the intention of returning at a more 
opportune moment. And when, one week later, I returned to the same spot, what 
was my surprise to see not only the nest completed and containing six eggs, but in the 
thorns and leaves about it were scattered seven more eggs; so that if the collection 
was not the produce of several Zopilotillos, a single bird would have deposited at least 
two eggs daily. In finding some of the eggs scattered in the leaves one of the 
