1 72 DEXTIROSTRES. 



stiff' bristles. Stationary insects are usually tlie contents 

 of its stomach, particularly tlie large field-bugs {Peatatoma), 

 and caterpillars, and sometimes the eggs of insects. In 

 the winter, the berries of the Jjursera, or Tropic Birch, 

 constitute a large portion of its food. In April, the Judy 

 begins to arrange the domestic economy of the season, 

 and if the cradle of his young be not so elaborate a struc- 

 ture as some others, it makes up in quantity what it 

 lacks in quality. On a branch of a small cedar that 

 ov^erhangs the high road," says Mr. Gosse, " I had noticed, 

 early in June, what appeared to be a heap of straw tossed 

 u}) by a fork and lodged there, which the action of the 

 weather had in some degree smoothed at the top, the ends 

 trailing downwards. One day, however, as I was looking 

 at it, I saw the brown female of this sj^ecies emerge from 

 the bottom, and presently return, entering at a narrow 

 hole beneath. As it was not more than twelve feet from 

 the ground, I immediately sent my lads to climb the tree 

 and cut the branch, which they accordingly brought me, 

 with the huge nest attached. The boys re]3orted that it 

 was empty, and that it had four entrances; but on exam- 

 ination, I found that every one of these was merely a 

 hollow in the immense walls, produced by the receding 

 of one jmrt of the loose materials fi'om another. While 

 they held it up in the 2)osition it had occupied on the tree, 

 I searched beneath for tlie true entrance, which, when I 

 had found it, I had much difficulty to fiud again, so con- 

 cealed was it amono; the drasfo-lino; ends of the mass. On 

 inserting my finger, however, I felt the soft and warm 

 })lumage of young bii-ds, and pulled out three almost fully 

 fledged." The nest was a flattened oblong mass ; flattened 

 on two sides, measuring in height about two feet and a 

 half, thouo;h the ends hung down to the length of four 

 feet ; in width more than two feet, and in thickness one 

 foot. It was composed almost entii-ely of the stems a]id 

 tendrils of passion-flowers, mixed, however, and that all 

 through the structure, with bright yellow silky sj^iders' 

 nests, and the downy filaments of some cottony lierbs. 

 The cavity was not larger than a man's two fists, and 

 was not in any way lined. It descended within the 

 entrance, although the latter faced the ground. 



