370 On the Nesting of Cassicus persicus, ^c. 



In February, 1896, I discovered a nest in our museum 

 garden, only some ten steps from the building. It was near 

 the end of a short branch of an '^ abin ^'-tree {Lucuma 

 caimito), at a height of about seven metres, rather well 

 hidden, and more in the central than in the outer part of 

 the crown of the tree. The nest, of which the photograph 

 (fig. 2, p. 369) gives an adequate idea, is of bag-like con- 

 struction, with a lateral entrance-hole. This hole, which is 

 small and circular, is provided with a protecting roof. The 

 material consists essentially of fibres of palm-tree leaves (cocoa- 

 nut and "inaja^^) and particles of straw. Many of these fibres 

 hang down in a negligent manner to an extent equal to the 

 length of the nest, which, in comparison with the diminutive 

 bird (certainly one of the smallest forms of the Tyrannidae), 

 must be called a very large one. The upper part, with the con- 

 nection to the branch, is produced into a long conical horn. 



Observing that the " Ferreirinho " was breeding, I resolved 

 to take the nest and its contents on February 22. I obtained 

 male, female, and eggs. These eggs, two in number, were 

 still nearly fresh. They measured : — (1) 16 mm. long, axis, 

 11-0 mm. transv. axis; (2) 16*5 mm. long, axis, 11'5 mm. 

 transv. axis. The point of section of the two axes for both eggs 

 was 6 mm. distant from the blunt pole. The ground-colour is 

 a pure white, but, having a large number of delicate and small 

 rosy points, becomes of a pale rosy tinge. They are frail 

 and minute objects, but well proportioned to the dimensions 

 of the graceful little bird, a genuine Liliputian'Tyrant, with 

 a white iris. 



I suppose it was the second laying, and that the former, 

 corresponding to the months September to November, had 

 probably escaped my attention. 



In Para I have never seen any other species of TofUrostrum 

 than T. maculatum-, but on the island of Marajo I found 

 another, easily distinguishable from being entirely yellow 

 on the lower surface. I believe it to be Todirostrum cine- 

 rewriy figured by Spix (Av. Brasil. pi. ix. fig. 2) under the 

 name Todus melanncephalus. 



October, 1896. 



