GROOVE-BILLED ANI 27 



Nesting. — Dr. Charles W. Richmond, drawing on his experience with 

 it near Bluefields, Nicaragua, sent some elaborate notes on the groove- 

 billed ani to Major Bendire (1895), from which I quote as follows: 



It appears to breed at various times during the year, as I have found fresh 

 eggs July 6, 1892, and young birds, recently from the nest, November 29, the 

 breeding season spreading over seven months of the year at least, as it begins 

 nesting earlier than the date of taking my first eggs. Nests are frequently built 

 in the heart of a thick, thorny orange or lemon tree, and this appears to be a 

 favorite situation. In this case the nest is from 4 to 7 feet from the ground, 

 and, besides being difficult to get at, is somewhat protected from invasion 

 the wasps which almost invariably take up their abode in the same tree. In 

 going through a small lemon grove I found an old nest of this species. In the 

 cavity there were no eggs, but on poking the nest to pieces six badly decayed 

 eggs rolled out. 



One nest containing three eggs in the proper place and two others at the 

 bottom, under the lining of green leaves, was located in a bamboo about 12 feet 

 from the ground. The eggs were fresh, and more would probably have been 

 deposited ; the leaves forming the lining were still green. The parent birds 

 were away at the time. Another nest was situated in some vines which had 

 over-run an old tree stub, and was about 15 feet from the ground. 



It may be that where numerous eggs are deposited in one nest only those 

 eggs that are deposited in the proper place and directly influenced by the incu- 

 bating bird are hatched, while those placed among the sticks forming the bulky 

 exterior are left unhatched. It would be interesting to watch the progress of 

 a large nestful of eggs and note results. The nests found by me were all com- 

 posed of dead black twigs, rather loosely put together, very bulky and conspicu- 

 ous structures, lined with green leaves, or, if old nests, with leaves that had the 

 appearance of having been picked green. 



One of Dr. Richmond's nests is described by Major Bendire (1895) 

 as "a rather loose structure, about 10 inches in diameter and 4 inches 

 in height. The inner cup measures 4 inches in diameter by 2^/^ inches 

 in depth." 



According to George K. Cherrie (1892) Seiior Don Anastasio 

 Alf aro says of the nests he collected in Costa Rica : 



The structure is voluminous, composed chiefly of coarse dead twigs, but pre- 

 sents one peculiarity not observed in any other bird, namely the nest being lined 

 with fresh green leaves. My three specimens were all placed in low trees, and 

 neither was found at a greater height than three meters. One had been built 

 above an old nest of one of the larger Tyrannidae. 



It will not be without interest, I think, to insert my observations relative to 

 one of these nests. On the 20th of May I noticed a Zopilotillo with a dry 

 stick in its bill, which was immediately carried to a point in the hedge-row 

 where it was 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 more than this: in the thorns and leaves about it were scattered 

 seven more eggs ! As a consequence, if that collection was not the work of the 

 Zopilotillos collectively, the poor owner would have had to deposit three eggs 

 daily ! In the finding of some of the eggs scattered in the leaves was revealed 



