1S90.] Cherie, Nesting Habits of Costa Rican Birds. ^33 



NOTES ON THE NESTING HABITS OF SEVERAL 

 BIRDS AT SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA. 



BY GEORGE K. CHERIE. 



Todirostrum cinereum (Linn.). 



At San Jose I first met with this active and curious little Fly- 

 catcher early in April, 1SS9, when I secured two fine specimens, 

 after having watched them as they searched diligently among the 

 leaves and smaller branches for their insect food, all the time 

 uttering a sharp, jerky, and to me unmusical, note. Arriving at 

 the end of the branch they would pause for a moment, and then 

 perhaps dart off, taking their prey on the wing. Flying from 

 tree to tree, they kept close by the river, and indeed thus far in my 

 observations I have not seen one go twenty feet from its bank. 



On April 26 I found the first nest, evidently just completed. 

 But, unfortunately, before I could prevent it, the boy who was 

 with me had torn it down. At that time I was ignorant who the 

 owner might be, and not a little vexed at the proprietors for not 

 claiming their property. The peculiar construction and location 

 interested me — hanging at the extreme end of a long, delicate, 

 leafless branch that swung out over the river about live feet above 

 the water, apparently a handful of dried grass that had been en- 

 tangled there during high water. On closer examination it is 

 seen to be constructed of very fine plant fibers and dried grass, 

 the whole neatly covered with the downy plumed seeds of some 

 plant. In shape it can best be described by supposing the two 

 poles of a hollow sphere to be drawn in opposite 'directions until 

 we have a figure something like two cones base to base. The 

 hollow of the nest is exactly in the centre. The entrance is on 

 one side and from below, formed by a covered passage, so that 

 looking from above or at the sides no means of entrance can be 

 seen. 



From April 26 until May 12 I occasionally saw one or two 

 birds busily hunting after insects in the low trees along the river 

 bank. On the latter date I found a second nest, apparently com 

 pleted on the outside. I saw the bird with a mouthful of soft 

 material fly to the shrub in which the nest was situated ; but, see- 



