CHERRIE: ORNITHOLOGY OF THE ORINOCO REGION. 221 



Three nests and sets of eggs were taken at Caicara in 1905. The 

 first set of eggs, collected May nth, shows more variation than the 

 others. Two of the three eggs are ovate in form and one is elongate 

 ovate. They are white without gloss, two of them with a few tiny 

 brownish spots on the larger end, the third with the larger end sparsely 

 marked with wood-brown spots. The eggs of this set measure i6x 11; 

 17.25 X II and 16.5 X 11.25 """"i- On the i8th of June two sets of three 

 eggs each were taken. One set is white without any markings, ovate 

 in form and measure 16.25 x 11.15; 16.75 -"^ ii-^5 and 15.75 x 11. 5 mm. 

 One of the eggs of the second set, taken on the i8th, has a very few tiny 

 brownish spots about the larger end, the other two are without mark- 

 ings. These are ovate in form and measure 15.75 ^ ii-25; 16 x 11. 5; 

 and 16 X 1 1.5 mm. 



The three nests display considerable individuality in the respective 

 builders both in the selection of materials and in the details of con- 

 struction, although the general characteristics are the same in each case. 

 In another place^ I have described nests of this species that were taken 

 in Costa Rica, and the descriptions there given would apply equally to 

 the ones from the Orinoco before me now. 



Two adult females taken April ist and 3rd respectively, at Ciudad 

 Bolivar, show small white partially concealed crown spots formed by 

 white bases to some of the crown feathers. 



This species was not observed beyond Caicara. 



ToDiROSTRUM MACULATUM (Desmarest). 

 Todiis maculatus Desmarest, Hist. Nat. Tang. 1805. (hab. "Guiane"). 



In the collection made by Mr. C. Wm. Beebe at Guanoco, Orinoco 

 delta, is an example of this species. 



ToDiROSTRUM scHiSTACEicEPS Sclatcr. 

 Todirostrnm schistaceiceps Scl., Ibis, 1859. p. 444; Berlepsch & Hartert, 



P- 37- 



Only a trifle less common than T. cincrenm, but unlike that species 

 it frequents the undergrowth of the heavily forested regions, and while 

 common at Caicara and points higher up the river it was not seen any- 

 where below that point. 



In life the eye varies from a sepia to a chocolate brown ; bill black ; 

 feet drab grey. 



'Auk. VII. 1890. p. 233. 



