ID^. Scott on the Nesting Habits of the Hooded Oriole. [April 



where it is largest, and the interior depth is three and a half 

 inches. 



No. 10. Second nest of July 20. Built in a sycamore, twenty- 

 five feet from the ground. Three fresh eggs, which are 

 unusual in being short and very much rounded. One is unfor- 

 tunately broken; the others measure .7S X .62, and .S4X.63, 

 respectively. A branch running out from the tree, so as to be 

 almost parallel with the surface of the ground, has, near its 

 extremity, three twigs that point downward. The middle one 

 of these is about five inches from either of the others. There is 

 little or no attempt to draw these together, and as the nest is 

 attached to all three twigs the structure is a peculiar one. The 

 nest proper is between two of these twigs, and about four inches 

 below the branch. The middle twig, on which the structure 

 mainly depends, crosses the nest at an angle, and being slightly 

 curved reaches under and across the bottom of the nest, sup- 

 porting it, and protrudes bevond. For all the distance where 

 the nest touches it, it is firmly tied and sewed fast, and where it 

 is again free from the structure there is a ball of tightly woven 

 grasses like that described in the nest of May 28. One of the 

 outside twigs, running parallel to the one just spoken of, is 

 fastened to the wall of the nest for four inches. As these twigs 

 are almost on opposite sides of the nest, it is so far verv sym- 

 metrical, and, being composed externally of green grasses, it 

 reminds one strongly of the nest of Icterus spurius. But the 

 builders, apparently not content with the fastenings, now built 

 a sort of rope or stay of grasses which, reaching slightly upward 

 and to the third of the twigs mentioned, is fastened to some 

 leaves and firmly to the twig itself. This brace is rather more 

 than five inches long and about an inch thick, though slightly 

 flattened. The inside of the nest is beautifully lined with woven 

 yucca fiber and soft dried grasses. Outside it is nearly four 

 inches deep, and inside but two and a half inches deep. The 

 opening is oval, one diameter being two and a half and the other 

 three and a half inches. A large leaf depending from one of the 

 twigs is sewed tightly to the rim so nearly all the way round, 

 and forming so complete a roof or covering, that difficulty was 

 experienced in taking the eggs from the nest. 



This completes the description of all of the nests, ten in 

 in number, taken in the canon proper : a word as to some 



