32 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 
breeding-season. Some aa forest trees have seven 
or eight of these huge structures suspended from the 
branches, while the ground underneath is covered 
with twigs and remains of fallen nests. The entrance 
to the chamber is generally underneath, or if at the 
side is protected by an overhanging eave to prevent 
the intrusion of opossums. These entrances lead 
into the porch or outer chamber, and the latter 
communicates with the breeding-chamber. The 
breeding-chambers are not connected with each 
other, and each set is used by one pair of birds. 
The number of pairs does not exceed a dozen, 
even with the lafgest nests. Repairs are carried on 
all the year round, but new nests are only added at 
the approach of spring. Opossums are frequently 
found in one of the higher chambers, when the 
entrance has been made too high, but though they 
take up their abode there they cannot reach the 
other chambers, and the Parrakeets refuse to go away. 
A species of Teal (probably Querquedula brasiliensis) 
also sometimes occupies and breeds in their cham- 
bers, and in one case Mr. Gibson found an opossum 
domiciled in an upper chamber, Parrakeets occupying 
all the others except one, in which a Teal was sitting 
on eggs. 
The breeding-season begins about 1st November, 
and as many as seven or eight eggs are laid; these 
are dull white, very thin-shelled, elongated, and have 
the greatest diameter exactly equidistant from the 
two ends. 
Mr. Barrows speaks as follows of this species in 
