226 Cherrie, Lisf of Birds of San Jose, Costa Rica. fOttobes 



the poor owner, would have had to deposit three eggs daily ! In the find- 

 ing of some of the eggs scattered in the leaves was revealed one of the 

 architect's peculiarities. A hole had been left in the centre of the nest 

 and only recently filled with leaves whose fresh green color testified that 

 they had been cut and placed there later than the others forming the car- 

 peting to the bottom of this common incubator. 



"The eggs were all fresh, the six occupying the nest having the charac- 

 teristic rough white calcacerous surface perfectly clean and without the 

 slightest variation in color. Not so with the eggs found about the outside 

 of the nest. Those found in contact with the leaves had taken on a dirty 

 yellowish tinge. Those held suspended among the leaves and thorns 

 showed various spots and lines of the lustrous blue color forming the 

 base for the chalky external coat. The scratches had been caused by a 

 too close contact with the thorns. In form the eggs vary from an ovaf 

 to an eliptical ovai; while the following dimensions taken from various 

 eggs of the set will serve to give an approximate idea of the great variation 

 in size : 35 X 25, 32 X 26, 32 X 23, 30 X 25, and 29 X 23 mm." 



113. Diplopterus naevius. — A rare straggler at San Jose. Tolerably 

 common at lower altitudes and as far as the coast on the Pacific side. 

 Young birds do not differ from the adults, young males resembling adult 

 males, and young females resembling adult females. 



114. Piaya cayana mehleri. — An abundant species, found on both 

 coasts and in the interior to an altitude of about 6500 feet. 



Young birds resemble the adults. 



From Sefior Alfaro's manuscript I take the following notes regarding this 

 bird: "The Pajaro Ardilla [squirrel bird], like Crotophaga sulcirostris, 

 according to Zeledon is insectivorous, and is found in all parts of the coun- 

 try. It is so arrogant and confident in its habits as to have merited the not 

 over flattering name of 'bobo' [fool]. Its cinnamon color and long tail, 

 together with the habit it has at times of running along the branches, 

 gives it a certain resemblance to a squirrel that justifies the application of 

 the more common vernacular name. Like the Zopilotillo's the nest of 

 this species is built in low trees, is very bulky, and has but little of the 

 artistic about it. 



"On the 2Sth of May while searching about in some scraggy timber 

 along the banks of the Rio de Poas I found a nest of this bird. When 

 discovered, the female was on the nest, but she immediately deserted 

 her post, not, however, going so far that she could not watch our move- 

 ments, a precaution on her part that assisted in the collecting, in order to 

 determine the sex, after assuring myself thatthe nest contained eggs. 



"The nest was placed about nine feet from the ground in the branches 

 of a small tree, and was well concealed by the broad leaves of some climb- 

 ing plant. In its construction there was employed nothing but half de- 

 caved leaves, making its removal and preservation impossible. The two 

 eggs, which were fresh, are an opaque white, without markings, eliptical 

 oval in form, and measure 35 X 24 and 33 X 24 mm." 



II V Coccyzus minor. — Very rare about San Jose. Found on both 



