THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 403 



matre, Trou Caiman and Ennery. He saw a colony of over 70 

 nests at Basin Generale. Poole and Perrygo collected two specimens 

 at Pont Sonde February 26, 1929. 



Wetmore observed one bird in the Ravine Papaye near Hinche 

 on April 23, 1927, and on May 1, located a colony of thirty nests, 

 most of them apparently occupied, a mile east of Comendador, D. 

 R. on the road to San Juan. This colony was placed in a tree above 

 a little hut at a native cane mill. The privilege of a shot was allowed 

 and the collector secured a fine male at the first discharge greatly to 

 the disappointment of observers who wanted him to continue the 

 fusillade. The fifteen cents presented to the old negress living in 

 the house pleased her greatly and no doubt gave the colony of birds 

 an enhanced value in her eyes. It was said that this colony had 

 been established here for many years. 



The above outlines briefly the present known distribution of this 

 bird. There are probably numerous other colonies and the species 

 may have a wider distribution on the island than is at present 

 suspected. 



In palm trees the nests of this species are fastened to the long 

 fronds often several being attached to one leaf. In deciduous trees 

 the structures are usually clustered rather closely on the small 

 branches at the top of the tree though occasionally they are grouped 

 at the extremity of a long, projecting limb. Where the colony is 

 large many limbs may be utilized, as near Gressier, where there were 

 two groups of 40 and 75 nests respectively, placed from 10 to 15 

 meters from the ground. Small groups of nests were scattered 

 through two royal palms and a jobo tree nearby. 



The nests usually are constructed of strips of palm leaf woven to 

 form a globular structure that is firmly attached to supporting twigs 

 so that it hangs suspended from its upper part. The entrance is 

 placed in one side slightly above the center, with the nest material 

 arching out over it so that it is well protected, the opening often 

 being entirely concealed from the side so that the bird seems to 

 enter from below. The fibers used in weaving are from one to five 

 mm. wide, occasionally a little broader, and the nest is from 90 to 

 130 mm. wide by 140 to 160 mm. deep. The walls are from 10 to 30 

 mm. thick and are fairly even throughout except that they are 

 decidedly thicker above. The weaving though seemingly loose is 

 compact so that there are few openings apparent between the strands. 

 In the two nests taken by Abbott at Fond Parisien from which this 

 description is written there is no definite nest lining. During build- 

 ing operations if in a palm the birds strip the leaves adjacent to 

 their nests leaving the fronds badly shredded or even bare, and in 



