176 Mr. O. V. Aplin on the 



large spots of lilac under-colour and umber surface-colour, 

 the colour of the latter having the appearance of having 

 " run " in the shell ; there is also one spot towards the 

 middle of the e^g. The second nest was also in a P. insignis, 

 about the same height from the ground^ built against the 

 trunk where a branch came oat. The walls were of twigs and 

 rootSj and the nest was lined with hair and many white and 

 light-coloured feathers. It contained one egg (and a broken 

 Toldo's), ovate, white marked with spots, rather more 

 numerous, but smaller and darker and more clearly defined, 

 than in the other egg, and some lilac under-marks. 



I almost wonder the Cow-birds ever ''got at''^ these nests, 

 especially that of the first pair, one of which was generally 

 mounting guard. 



This Tyrant loves to sit quietly on a conspicuous spot near 

 the nest, such as a low tree-top or the stake of a vine. It 

 sits in an upright joosition, and I have seen it elevate the 

 feathers of the occiput. They used also to sit on the quinta 

 fence and search the adjoining potrero for the thick whitish 

 brown-headed grub of the isoca beetle, 1 or 1^ inches long. 

 When disturbed it spreads its beautiful white-banded wings 

 and sails with a swift gliding curve to a perch a short way 

 off. They are very tame, and I often used to watch them 

 from a few yards distance, the red eye being very conspicuous. 

 I never heard the bird sing. Some of their aerial move- 

 ments are very pretty. They throw themselves from the 

 tree-top, and with buoyant dancing flight, wings upraised and 

 legs dangling, go in a curve to another tree-top, or merely 

 dance up in the air to descend to the same spot again. 



I do not know whether they are resident, but think not. 

 They were at Sta. Elena when I arrived, but the last I re- 

 member to have seen was on the 6th April, when I shot a male. 



■^T^NioPTERA DOMiNicANA. Dominicau Tyrant. 

 One in the Museo de Historia Natural at Montevideo from 

 Uruguay, 



37. T^NioPTERA iRUPERo. Widow Tyrant. 



Not at all uncommon, having a preference for estancia 



