DOMED OR ROOFED NESTS 211 



other group or order of aquatic birds with the one 

 solitarj^ exception of the Rails (Ralliformes). In this 

 order, as we have already seen, the normal type of nest 

 is an open one, but in a few exceptional cases a domed 

 nest is made. One of these domed nest-building Rails 

 is the Porzana cinereiceps, of Lawrence, an American 

 species. Mr Charles Richmond met with this bird 

 breeding commonly in the plantations on the Escon- 

 dido river, in Central America, and states that the 

 nest is placed in grass about a foot from the ground. 

 He describes the nest as almost globular in shape 

 with a small entrance in the side, and made of dry 

 grass, lined with a broad-leaved grass. 



There are a few builders of domed or roofed nests 

 amongst the Coraciiformes. These belong to the 

 family of Swifts (Cypselidas). We have already had 

 occasion to describe certain nests of these birds in 

 our chapter on the covered or concealed type. The 

 majority of these birds appear to conceal their nests 

 in rocks, caves, hollow trees or buildings, still there 

 are certain forms associated under the generic term 

 Panyptila, which construct tubular or purse-shaped 

 structures. A species inhabiting Guatemala is said 

 to form a tubular nest of seeds, each one stuck 

 together with the parents' saliva, which latter is also 

 employed to attach the structure to a rock. Another 

 of these birds, the Cayenne Swift (P. cayanensis), is 

 said to build a long purse-like nest. Singularly 

 enough we have the domed type of nest occasionally 



