NESTING HABITS OP OROPENDOLA — CHAPMAN 369 



THK VOILNG 



Long before the eggs hatch the male loses interest in the female 

 and when the young appear they are cared for only by the female. 

 In 10i>7 young were first noted on March 2 in nest No. 2 of group 1. 

 On March '22 the young in this nest were first heard to call as they 

 were being fed. On the 3Lst the female fed them by reaching down 

 from the opening without entering the nest, and on April 1 they were 

 seen at the doorway. My observations ended April 2, but it is not 

 probable that the young of this nest took flight before A|)ril a-S.'-* 

 On this a.ssumption the dates of the more important events in the 

 liistory of this nest are as follows: Nest begun January 8. Female 

 first sleeps in nest February Ki (assumed date of the completion of 

 the nest). Young first noted, March 2. Probable date of flight 

 of young, April 5-8 or 87-90 days from the beginning of the nest. 



The period of nearly three months between the beginning of the 

 nest and flight of the young is of course shortened when less time 

 is given to the construction of the nest. For example, nest No. 13, 

 group 1, 1927, which, as stated above, is believed to have been built 

 in 25 days, fell on April 1. It contained one well-grown young 

 which would doubtless have flown in not more than a week or 63 

 days after the nest was begun. 



NOTES ON THE ACTIONS OF A BIRD THAT LOST HER NEST 



As stated above, nest No. 5, group 1, 1927, containing two eggs 

 about 12 days advanced, fell on the morning of March 7. The subse- 

 quent behavior of the owner of this nest seems worthy of record. 

 The branch to which the nest was attached broke between 7.30 and 

 8.30 a. m. when I was in the forest. My observations began at 8.45 

 when, to quote from my record : 



The female was seen tluttering about the vacancy left by the fall of her 

 home and alighting on the neij^hboring nests Nos. 4 and 7. Two males and a 

 female joined her and after a few minutes she flew west. At 9.30 she was 

 again looking for her nest but soon departed and did not return for at least 

 an hour, after which I was absent until evening. Between G.IO and G.30 p. m. 

 she made four attempts to find her nest, perching on the branch to which it 

 had been attached and examining the entrances to near-by nests; then she 

 flew east t«> the forest with three otlier oropeiidolas. 



March S. A female, after looking alxmt the former postion of nest No. 5, 

 flew to a perch about 20 feet below. Later a female brought new green tendrils 

 to this perch and began to weave. Still later a female perched on the remain- 

 ing attachment of the fallen No. 5, then at various places above and below and on 

 each side, then flew down and weaved a little where the nest had just been 

 started 20 feet below. This action was interjireted as indicating that the new 

 nest ha<l been startol by the bird that had lost her nest and eggs the day before. 



Mardi 9. The female believed to be the owner of nest No. 5 worked a little at 

 the nest .started yesterday then started a second one on the right fork of the 

 same branch; net result about two scpiare Inches on No. L 



"The observations of Dr. Van Tyne Indicate that the earlier date Is the correct one. 



