2^4 Cherrie, I^ist of Birds of Sati yosr Costa Rica. LJ"ly 



reaching to the end of the tail). Eye dark, bill black, yellowish at the 

 rictus only; legs and feet yellowish ; front of tarsus and tops of the toes 

 shaded with dusky. 



2. Tardus fuscescens. 



3. Tardus ustulatus swainsonii. — No notes have been added on these 

 two species since the publication of the author's Ifst of North American 

 birds at San Jose. (See Auk, VII, p. .) 



4. Merula grayi. — Gray's Thrush, or the 'Yigiiirro' of the Costa Ricans, 

 is one of the most abundant resident birds about the city. It breeds 

 abundantly, the nesting season commencing about April i, and lasting 

 until nearly the middle of August. I have secured young birds from the 

 nest as early as June i. Two or three broods seem to be reared each 

 season. Just previous to the beginning of and during the early weeks of 

 the nesting season the Yigiiirro is in full song. With the e.vception of 

 this short period it has seemed to me to be rather a quiet bird, although 

 gregarious in its habits. During the rainy season the chief food is the 

 fruit of the species of wild figs {jFisct/s), and while they are frequently 

 found in considerable numbers in these trees they are not noisy, and often 

 my first intimation of their presence has been on hearing their sudden 

 precipitous flight through the leaves and out of the tree. At such times 

 they utter a sharp, rather disagreeable note. 



A Mr. Echandia tells me that one he has in a cage frequently sings late 

 at night, especially if disturbed or if the mosquitoes are very troublesome. 



At all seasons Gray's Thrush is much sought after as a game bird, con- 

 sequently they are decidedly shy. 



The nest and eggs of this species vary considerably as will be shown b_y 

 the description of three nests and sets of eggs in the author's collection. 

 No. 1579, San Jose, June 24, 1890; three slightly incubated eggs. The 

 eggs are a pale glaucous green, speckled and spotted all over with shades 

 of brown between burnt umber and pale chestnut. On the larger end the 

 ground color is almost entirely concealed. The larger spots are almost all 

 irregular in form but present an approach to an ellipse. The eggs are 

 ovate slightly elongated, and measure as follows : — 1.22 X .80; 1.20 X .81 ; 

 and 1.20 X 78. 



No. 1580, San Josd, July i, 1890; two eggs and nest. The nest was 

 placed in a small tree, about ten feet from the ground. It is coinposed 

 outwardly of half rotten grass stems and leaves mixed with mud; the 

 lining is rather coarse rootlets. Outside it measures 5.50 by 4.50 by 3 

 deep; inside 3.25 by 3.75 by 1.75 deep. 



The eggs are rather under average size and one is much smaller than 

 the other. The larger is ovate and the smaller short ovate. In the larger 

 incubation had somewhat advanced while the smaller was perfectly fresh. 

 The ground color is glaucous green; the markings consist of small dots 

 of several shades of brown, pale chestnut predominating. The dots are 

 aggregated mostly about the larger end, but the ground color is no where 

 concealed. 



No. 15S1, San Jose, June 25, 1890; two eggs and nest. The nest was 



