THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



may be subsequently flooded by heavy rains, and the birds 

 must build their nests high enough to protect their contents 

 from the water. The combination of these two conditions has 

 resulted in the production of a mud cone which, in the colonies 

 examined, was never more than twelve inches in height; but 

 nests eighteen inches high have been reported. 



In the slightly hollowed top of this adobe dwelling a single 

 white egg is laid. Of the period of incubation, condition of the 

 young at birth, time it passes in the nest, manner of feeding, etc., 

 practically nothing is known and the nesting habits of the species 

 offer a fine field for study to any ornithologist who is desirous 

 of filling one of the blank pages in the history of our birds. 



Frank M. Chapman. 



LECTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



The remaining lectures of the current course of Professor 

 Bickmore's lectures to teachers are as follows (Saturday morn- 

 ings at 10.30 o'clock): 



November i and 8. — "The French Alps." 

 November 15 and 22. — "Historic Towns of Central France." 

 November 29 and December 6. — " Historic Towns of Southern 

 France and the French Riviera." 



Professor Bickmore's lectures to members of the Museum 

 and their friends will be given on Thursday evenings in November 

 and December in accordance with the following programme : 



November 20. — "The Swiss Alps." 

 December 4. — "The French Alps." 

 December 11. — "Historic Towns of Central France." 

 December 18. — "Historic Towns of Southern France and the 

 French Riviera." 



The Tuesday evening course in cooperation with the De- 

 partment of Education of the Borough of Manhattan, Dr. H. M. 

 Leipziger, Supervisor of Lectures, was begun October 7 and will 



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