248 



Ciir.F^Rii^:, List of Birih of S(tu Josi, Costa Rica. Ijulv 



<'>:>. Zonotrichia capensis costaricensis.* — Alnimlnnl resiilt-nt. l'\)iir or 

 five broods arc leareci each vear. The breeding season commences eaily 

 in A|)iii and continues until the last of August. Ordinarily' the nest is 

 placeii on or near the ground, in some low bush or shrub. Much indi- 

 vitiuat taste is displayed in the locality selected and in the materials used 

 in construction. Often one may find a nest at the very doorway of his 

 house ill the middle of the city, or again in the fields far from an\- habi- 

 tation, while its owner is equally happj' in either place and alwa^'s full of 

 song. Of the half dozen nests before me, the three that were built in 

 bushes, from one to three feet above the ground, are quite bulky, con- 

 structed outwardly of dry grass stems and rootlets, inwardly of fine soft 

 grass. Two of the nests have a scanty lining of horse-hairs, while the 

 third is well lined with soft, white, chicken feathers. The nests that were 

 built on the ground are much more compactly built, there is less of the 

 rough, bulky exterior, while the layer of soft, fine grass is much thicker. 

 Two of the nests are without the lining of horse-hairs or feathers. 

 One is lined with green feathers of the Yellow-headed Parrot {^Amazona 

 auropalliata). The average inside measurements are 1.50 inches in 

 depth by 2.00 in diameter. A nest taken in San Jose, June 30, 1890, pre- 

 sents some peculiarities, the owner having appropriated to itself the old 

 nest of a ./l/cr/^A/ ^;-r/j/, only adding a lining of soft, dry grass, and this 

 chiefly at the upper edge so as to contract the rim, and then an inner lin- 

 ing of a few horse-hairs. It measures 2.25 inches in diameter by 200 

 deep. The nest of the Thrush had measured 4 inches in diameter inside. 

 The outside measurements of the entire nest are 6.50 inches in diameter 

 by 3.00 cleep. When first taken the structure was very pretty, being com- 

 pletely covered with bright green moss. 



The eggs arc a lather pale glaucous green, speckled with walnut brown, 

 the spots thickest about the larger end. Some eggs are blotched with 

 walnut brown in a band alioiit the larger end ; such have very few specks 

 about the smaller end. The average measurements of a dozen eggs are 

 •79 X .S4 inch. 



This Sparrow is found abunilantly up to an elevation of about 7000 feet 

 and tiown to within a thousand feet of the coast level. It is distinctly a 

 bird of the open country. 



61. Spiza americana. — Rare about San Jos^. Arrives about Sept. 27, 

 antl is not seen after April 20. Birds in young plumage greatly predom- 

 inate. 



62. Pyrgisoma cabanisi. — Common resident, frequenting the hedge- 

 rows in the outskirts ol the city. It is seldom seen far from the ground, 

 usually scratcliing about among the dry leaves. Several broods are 

 reared each year. Young birds just able to fly aie taken as early as June 

 6, anil as late as No\ember 10. A nest of this species taken June 5, 1SS9, 

 was fouiuLon the ground in a slight IkjIIow at the foot of a few stalks of 

 sugar cane. It was composed chiefly of dead and rotting grass stems. 



* Allen. Bull. A. M. N. H., Vol. III. p. 374. 



