He first turned his 

 attention to the upper 

 branches of the Rio Mag- 

 dalena and among other 

 valuable specimens, se- 

 cured one of the chief 

 desiderata of the expedi- 

 tion, the heretofore almost 

 unknown nest of the cock- 

 of-the-rock, with studies 

 on which to base a group 

 of this remarkable bird. 

 Concerning his discovery 

 Mr. Miller wrote from San 

 Agustin under date of 

 May 6: 



Since I have been alone, the 

 work has been pushed along as 

 usual, and we have not been 

 altogether unsuccessful. The 

 best work was probably done in 

 the wilds on the Rio Naranjos. 

 Here I found the cock-of-the- 

 rock in considerable numbers 

 and had great hopes of finding a 

 nest. Search as I would, in the 

 most likely places, nothing re- 

 sulted but an old root-lined mud 

 nest, resembling a phoebe's, but 

 much larger. This of course did 

 not amount to anything as there 

 was no way of identifying it for 

 certain. The Naranjos and its 

 affluents are flanked by great, 

 sheer cliffs, and as tlie birds that 

 were examined were breeding 

 (all males) I knew there must 

 be nests somewhere. I recalled 

 how eager you were to get this 

 nest, and that acted as a stimu- 

 lus for further search. To make a long story short, I took seven fine nests in all: the old 

 one, one with two eggs, two with one egg each, one with two very small yoang in very long 

 down, one with one young with pin feathers and some down, and one with two young 

 almost feathered; also, a series of mal&s and fcmale-s, in various plumages. The nests were 

 all plastered against cliffs or rocks, but not high above the water; four, seven to fifteen feet, 

 in the worst spots imaginable. To reach them it was necessary to build rafts, fell trees, and 

 clamber down the stone walls secured with ropes. The females of nearly all the nests were 

 collected. 1 have made as complete notes as possible. The nests are made with a solid mud 

 foundation and are lined with fine rootlets. The eggs are nearly as largo as a crow's, and 

 marked very heavily with much the same coloring as those of the black vulture. 



With characteristic modesty Mr. Miller does not add what we have 

 subsequent!}' learned, that the raft he mentions overturned throwing him 

 into a current so rapid that he narrowly escaped drowning. 



Early in June Mr. Miller left San Agustin and crossed the eastern Andes 



LEO E. MILLER, COLLECTOR, IN COLOMBIA 



He has succeeded in getting material for a Museum 

 habitat group of the famous "cock-of-the-rock" 



216 



