334 G. E. Verrill — Fauna of the Isla)>d of Dominica. 



Another iie,st, taken April 14, containing- one fresh egg, is situated 

 on a twig and much like the last, but slightly lined with silk-cotton, 

 and is well covered with small pieces of lichen, each 2>laced with 

 the natural side, of a light greyish green, out. It is If across the 

 top, 1^ high, and the cavity is f deep. The egg is like the last two 

 and measures •54X'3'7. Plate xxvi, fig. 4. 



A third nest taken near Laudat, March 28, with two badly incu- 

 bated eggs, is placed in the crotch of a fern frond, but varies from 

 the other two in being composed, on the outside, of the brown scales 

 from stems of ferns with no pieces of lichen, and the inside is very 

 thickly lined with down from the silk-cotton tree. This one meas- 

 ures \h across the toj), 1:^ in height, and the deptli of cavity is f. 

 One Qgg is too badly broken to measure, the other is "49 X "32. 



32. Bellona exilis (Giuel.) "Fou Fou Bequar," Pat. (Possibly from Fr. 

 besquee, a beak full.) 

 Orihorhynchus exilis (Gmnl.); Tayl. Lawr., aud Scl. List. 



Very common and widely distributed. Though most abundant in 

 the low lands and near the coast, it is also found commonly among 

 the mountains and we took it from every camp. According to our 

 experience this pretty and diminutive species is the commonest of 

 the hummers in Dominica. 



Sexes unlike. $ -H-ll-l-j^^, exposed culmen -31, bill (from rictus) 

 •68. $ 3|-m-ly^g^, exposed' culmen '43, bill (from rictus) -70 ; 34- 

 If-]^, exposed culmen '44, bill (from rictus) 07. 



The nests of this species vary considerabh^ in composition, shape, 

 and mode of attachment. There are nine nests in the collection, no 

 two just alike, the onh^ characters common to all seem to be the 

 presence of more or less brown scales from ferns or tree-ferns used 

 in the composition, and the use of spider w^eb, or some very similar 

 material, in greater or less quantity, to bind the nest together. 



Generally the nest is composed mainly of the fern scales, with 

 more or less silk-cotton for a lining, it being entirely absent in only 

 two out of the nine nests, and in three it constitutes about half the 

 total bulk of material. In a number it is also used on the outside, 

 in small quantities, to help bind them together. Six nests are more 

 or less ornamented on the outside with pieces of lichen, after the 

 manner of T. bicolor. In one of the other nests the lichen is re- 

 placed by small pieces of brown bark and in one where lichen is 

 present there are also a few pieces of dark green moss. (Plate xxvi, 

 fig. 6). 



