General Notes. 95 



Nest and Eggs of Selasphorus platycercus. — The following inter- 

 esting observations are communicated by Mr. Edwin A. Barber, of West 

 Chester, Pa. : "While stationed in the extreme southwestern corner of 

 Colorado, near the head-waters of the Rio la Plata, with a branch of the 

 United States Geological Survey, during the summer of 1875, I was so 

 fortunate as to observe large numbers of the Broad-tailed Humming- Bird. 

 Our party was encamped on a small spring-rill, along the banks of which 

 a thick hedge of dwarf willows had sprung up, and through and over this 

 thicket these little birds were darting and chattering all day long. On 

 July 26 I searched the bushes for nests, and in a couple of hours I discov- 

 ered five, each containing two diminutive white eggs. Mr. W. H. Holmes 

 found two more. I contented myself with securing two sets, picking 

 out those which represented extremes of form. Both nests were composed 

 of vegetable cotton and thistle-down, and were covered externally with 

 lichens and bark-fibre, so that in color they resembled the twigs to which 

 they were attached. The color and form of the two nests, however, dif- 

 fered materially, — one was broad, shallow, with thick walls, and of a 

 brown color ; while the second was narrow, elevated, and of a light yel- 

 lowish hue. Each of the nests was built not more than three to five feet 

 above the ground, and not one of them was fastened to the main trunk or 

 larger limbs of the shrubs, like the nests of our Ruby-throat. On the 

 contrary, they were all suspended by slender swaying twigs, often directly 

 over the flowing water. One was attached to a little piece of curled bark, 

 which presented a horizontal resting-place, just large enough for the nest. 

 The eggs are not distinguishable from those of Trochilus colubris, except 

 that, in some instances, the former may be a trifle larger than the latter. 

 The fact that the nests were found containing eggs in the latter part of 

 July would indicate that two broods of young are raised during the sea- 

 son. All of my specimens of eggs had been laid for the space of about a 

 week, as the embryos were all advanced to about the same stage of develop- 

 ment, and I had great difficulty in blowing them. I believe there is no 

 other case on record where the eggs of this species have been found in 

 such numbers within_a limited space." — Elliott Coues, Washington, 

 D. C. 



Nesting of Vireo olivaceus. — Mr. W. L. Collins, of Frankford, 

 Philadelphia, Pa., writes : " Whilst walking in a grove I found a nest of 

 this species, upon which the female was sitting, although the framework 

 was barely completed. Watching awhile, I presently saw the male fly to 

 the nest with some soft substance in his bill, which he gave to his mate 

 to arrange on the nest while he went in search of more. On then looking 

 into the nest, I was surprised to find that it contained three eggs. Three 

 or four days afterward, I again visited the spot, and found that the struc- 

 ture had been completed in the interval. Thus the female had begun to 

 lay some time before the nest was ready for the reception of eggs." — 

 Elliott Coues, Washington, D. C. 



