42 



Director' s Annual Report. 



The nest was then secured, with no little difficulty, and proved to 

 be newly made and quite complete, with the exception of the inner 

 lining, but unfortunately contained no eggs. The nest (No. 1670, 

 Fig. i) was placed on a nearly horizontal limb an inch in diameter, 

 onto which it was saddled very firmly. It was almost hidden from 

 view in the leaves and branches which surrounded it. The materials 

 used in its construdlion are chiefly the skeletonized leaves of a 

 number of mountain plants interwoven with moss. This moss is 

 firmly bound together and to the limb with an abundance of spider 



1669 1670 



( 



Fig. I. NESTS OF THE ELEPAIO, CHASIEMPIS GAVI WILSON. 



webs, which hold it in form and make it perfecftly firm. The out- 

 side of the nest is decorated with bits of lichens from tree trunks 

 which are also attached by the use of webs. The outside dimen- 

 sions are 2.75 in. in width by 2.50 in. high. 



On January 26 a nest was located in a tree growing well down 

 on the side hill in a little valley behind the cabin. The spot was 

 revisited two or three times at intervals, before the storm, when 

 the birds were to be seen, always enthusiastic in the adding of the 

 ■finishing touches to their little home ; but, alas, the rains de- 

 scended, and when the nest was finally taken, on March 2, it was 

 deserted and dilapidated. In the choice of materials used in its 

 construcflion it was almost identical with the one described above, 

 but was located in a horizontal fork at the extreme end of a hori- 

 zontal limb, much after the fashion of the Veiros of America. 



[234] 



