NESTING HABITS OF OROPENDOLA — CHAPMAN 363 



tinned nntil abont half-past live o'clock when the birds in a body go 

 to the forest, generally taking the same dii-ection, perhaps to a 

 regularly frequented roost. From this schedule there is, of course, 

 more or less variation, and as the season advances the birds retire 

 later. 



Com|)aratively few nests survive tiie rainy season and those that 

 do remain are frayed and raggeil. A new nest, therefore, is built 

 each year. On one occasion, after a rain, a bird was seen to use 

 some wet, and hence weavable, material from an old nest in the con- 

 struction of its home, but, as a rule, only the attachment of the pre- 

 ceding year's nest enters into the building of the new one. 



Strong but pliable material is recjuired by the weaver. A green 

 tendril 8 to 10 inches long is much used, particularly in the early 

 stages of the work. This, like twine, can be wrapped about a limb 

 many times, forming, in effect, the foundation of the nest bag. Air 

 rootlets, tine strips of bark, tilamentous blossoms, plant fibers, string- 

 like strips from the stem of Monstera torn off by the strong, service- 

 able bill of the bird, what resemble weed stalks (but no twigs) form 

 the greater part of the nest bags examined. I use the term "nest 

 bag," for the pensile structures seen hanging from the nest tree are 

 merely the receptacles for the nest proper. This is composed of 

 nearly a hatful of fragments of soft leaves and bark and short pieces 

 of fiber loosely placed, not packed or woven, at the bulbous bottom 

 of the woven bag. In the old, as well as freshly fallen, nests that 

 I have examined this material is not detinitel}' shaped into a circular 

 nest with a depressed center and surrounding walls, but is a formless 

 l)ed probably designed to prevent the eggs from rolling about and 

 breaking when the nest bag is violently blown about by the strong 

 trade winds of the dry season. 



All the nesting material, except that which may be stolen from a 

 neighboring nest, is secured in the immediately adjoining forest, 

 usually within sight of the nest tree. 



In well-organized colonies in which the community spirit is de- 

 veloped, the females, when building, usually leave the nest tree to 

 collect material, in a body, and they may be seen gathering it to- 

 gether in the same tree. Material dropped when building is not 

 abandoned, but by a graceful swoop is caught in the air, the 

 retriever returning with it to the nest. 



Building birds often take material from another bird's nest either 

 in their own or an adjoining group. Some birds, indeed, are chronic 

 robbers and steal a large part of their material. Slovenly builders 

 are more apt to be robbed than those that leave no loose and tempting 

 ends about their structure. A poor builder is often, therefore, 

 heavily handicapped, for a day's work may be undone in a short 

 time by her thieving neighbors. Birds that do not work continuously 



