Birds of Columbia. 329 



and make very long pendulous nests. A large colony had esta- 

 blished themselves in a leafless tree in a valley near San Ni- 

 colas when we were there in March ; and every evening just be- 

 fore sunset they held a most discordant concert, flying over the 

 valley, wheeling round and then diving down to the bottom of 

 their bag-shaped nests, some of which were so loosely woven 

 that we could see the bird, when in, struggling to get down to 

 the bottom. Iris bright sky-blue. 



' 78. Cassicus flavicrissus*. 



This Cassique (a smaller bird than the preceding species) 

 we only found at the Lake of Paturia, where there were several 

 colonies nesting about the middle of March, in the low bushes 

 which overhung the water. We brought home three of their 

 beautiful pendulous nests, most of which were within reach from 

 a canoe. They were not all of the same pattern : in some the 

 entrance was at the top, so as to form merely a long narrow 

 bag ; in others the top was roofed over, and the entrance was at 

 the side. The colony we robbed was not easily disturbed, and the 

 birds, though at last driven away, very soon returned. Individuals 

 differ in size and as to the coloration of the dark portion of their 

 plumage ; but I cannot say whether it depends upon age or sex, 

 as the sexes of our specimens, by some oversight, were not 

 marked. They lay two cream-coloured eggs blotched with pur- 

 ple and brown. Iris pale blue. 



. 79. Icterus xanthornus. 



Common at Santa Marta, but does not seem to occur up the 

 country. Iris brown. 



* [Cassicus flavicrissus, Scl. 



In our paper on the Birds of Panama (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 353) we inserted 

 Cassicus persicm, and stated that we could not distinguish from it C. vitel- 

 limis of Lawrence. A reexamination of this subject, aided mth further 

 materials has induced us to alter our views. It now appears that Mr. Law- 

 rence's species is identical with Cassictihis Jlavicrisszis from Ecuador, de- 

 scribed by Sclater, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 276, from specimens obtained by Fi-aser. 

 Mr. Lawi-ence's name must therefore give way, and Cassicus flavicrissus 

 may be recognized as a western representative of C. persicus, differing 

 mainly in the yellow coloui' being confined to the base of the tail-feathers. 

 We have compared Mr. Wyatt's specimens with those from Panama and 

 those from Western Ecuador, and find them agree. — P. L. S. & O. S.] 



