'"'^ism!''] proceedings of thi: national museum. 489 



56. Ramphocelus passerinii lioiiait. 



Witli the single exception of Hporophila corvina this species is the 

 most abundant ill localities visited by me. It fairly swarms in all fa- 

 vorable situations, and is one of the first birds to impress the eye of a 

 foreigner. The birds spend the day romping about in the bushes or in the 

 banana i)laiitatioiis, chasing one another here and there, with no ap- 

 parent reason other than to pass away the time. They keep up an 

 almost continual squeaky chatter, which is the only note heard on or- 

 dinary occasions, but at times I have heard solitary males sing, if the 

 l)erformance may be called a song. It is a very inferior chant, nun-h 

 like the ordinary chatter, but uttered in a slow and measured way. 

 Females ai)pear to b(^ much more numerous than males. The birds are 

 ])erhaps not truly gregaiious, although very social the year round, and 

 may possibly be i)olygamous. In many ways these birds remind one of 

 the House Sparrow {Pasner (lomesticus). The birds show little feel- 

 ing when robbed of nests and eggs. One jjartial albino was observed. 



Nesting begins early, as young were found in the nest during the 

 first week in March, and eggs were obtained as late as July 4. As in 

 many other species in this region, the number of eggs and young found 

 in a nest is two. The nests are placed in bushes or vines, froni 1 to 5 

 feet from the ground, constructed of small stems of plants and dead 

 leaves, and lined with fine grass stems. Eggs ovate, pale blue, marked 

 chiefiy on th<' large end with dark brown, almost black, spots, mottlings, 

 or occasional pen lines, with a few indistinct i^ale lavender spots. 

 Measurements of four clutches are as follows : 0.9G by 0.64, 0.94 by 0.G4 ; 

 0.87 by O.GG, 0.88 by 0.G7; 0.98 by 0.G3, 0.98 by 0.64; 0.88 by 0.G8, 0.90 

 by 0.68. 



57. Phlogothraupis sanguineolenta (Less.). 



Not rare on the Escondidoaud at Indian plantations on the Rio Frio. 

 In habits it differs nmch from the preceding, being ordinarily rather 

 shy and quiet. Karely more than two are seen together, except in the 

 fall, when there is a tendency to gather in small flocks. At this period 

 there ap])ears to be something of a migration of the species, or an in- 

 flux of individuals from other local iti(^s, and the bird might then be said 

 to be common. An increase in numbers was noticed late in August. 

 The note is a rather shrill whistle; I did not hear the song. It occurs 

 in banana plantations, in bamboos along streams, and in open jdaces 

 on the edge of the forest, but does not appear to frequent low bushes, as 

 the above si)ecies is wont to do. 



A nest found May 30 was in a cluster of vines on a banana plant, at 

 a height of 8 feet. It was similar to that of Eamphocehis, but slightly 

 larger, covered with living green moss, and lined with hair-like black 

 stems. The eggs are pale blue, short ovate, sparsely spotted at the 

 large end with brownish black sjjots, with occasional faint marks of 

 lavender. They measure 0.91 by 0.71, 0.90 by 0.70. Iris reddish brown. 



