ifS92.] Cherrie, Lisi of Birds of San Jos!', Costa Rica. ^2^ 



io8. Amazilia fuscicaudata. — The most abundant species about San 

 Josd, and indeed tiie most abur.dant species found on either coast and up 

 to an altitude of about 6000 feet. I believe that this species is nesting in 

 €verj month in the year. Nests are usually placed about fifteen feet from 

 the ground in either orange or lemon trees. A nest before me is con- 

 structed of some soft fibre much resembling hemp tow. There are a few 

 lichens covering the outside, and an inner lining of a little native cotton. 

 The nest, somewhat eliptical in form, measured ih inches deep, hy 2 

 inches long, and li wide. Inside i^ by I, by ^ deep. The twx> eggs, 

 white in color and eliptical ovate in form, measure .53 X .37 inch. 



109. Amazilia sophiae. — Tolerably common resident. 



no. Chlorostilbon salvini. — Tolerably common resident. 



111. Chlorostilbon angustipennis. — Resident. Not common. 



112. Crotophaga sulcirostris. — The 'Tijo' of the Costaricans is one of 

 the most abundant birds found in the country, ranging, as it does, from 

 both coasts to an altitude of about 7000 feet. 



Mr. Alfaro has kindly given me his manuscript notes on the nesting of 

 this species, which I have translated from the Spanish and present below. 



"The Zopilotillo [so-pee-lo-t^e-yo], also known as 'Tijo, tijo' [tde-ho] 

 in imitation of its peculiar notes which seem to repeat the word iijo over 

 and over again, is very abundant in the fields near Tambor (a little 

 town about twenty miles northwest of San Jos^) where along the hedge- 

 rows and in the scrubby timber, as well as on the skin of the cattle they 

 find those insects which constitute their food. The woodticks, or garro- 

 patos, from the legs and about the head and neck of the cattle are 

 esteemed above all else a favorite morsel. In this locality I have col- 

 lected three nests during the month of May, the first with nine eggs, 

 the second with eleven, and the last with thirteen. Some j'ears ago I 

 remember seeing a nest, situated in the branches of a mango tree, that 

 contained fourteen eggs. 



"The nests that I have collected agree with the observations made by 

 Zeledon. The structure is voluminous, composed chieflj' of coarse dead 

 twigs, but presents one peculiarity not observed in any other bird, name- 

 ly the nest being lined with fresh green leaves. My three specimens were 

 all placed in low trees, and neither was found at a greater height than 

 three metres. One had been built above an old nest of one of the larger 

 Tyiannids. 



"It will not be without interest, I think, to insert my observations rela- 

 tive to one of these nests. On the 20th of May I noticed a Zopilotillo 

 with a dry stick in its bill, which was immediately carried to a point in 

 the hedgerow where it was deposited with three others. After assuring 

 myself that the bird was building its nest there, I retired, with the inten- 

 tion of returning at a more opportune moment. And when one week 

 later I returned to the same spot, what was my surprise to see not only 

 the nest completed and containing six eggs, but more than this: in the 

 thorns and leaves about it were scattered seven more egg^ As a conse- 

 quence, if that collection was not the work of the Zopilotillos collectively. 



