82 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ing with great activity for its food, and preferring low trees and bushes. 

 At times it will dart about in tlie air in pursuit of small insects. 



Mr. John Xantus found tliese l)irds to be quite abundant at ('ape St. Lucas 

 and obtained several of their nests. They were generally built amon.^ the 

 niterlacing tendrils of a wild vine {Antigomn kpfopm), and .so closely inter- 

 woven with tlie smaller branches as to be inseparal)le.' The nests, like those 

 of all tliis family, are structures of great beauty and delicacy. They luive a 

 li..ng]it and an external diameter of about 2^ inclies. The cavity is 1 1 inches 

 wide at the rim, and fully two inches deef.. This great proportionate depth 

 ot tlie nest seems to be characteristic of this genus. Tlie external portion of 

 this nest is composed of a composite blending of %arious vegetable materials 

 fine hempen fibres of plants, strips of delicate bark from smaller shrubs' 

 silken fragments of cocoons and downy cotton-like substance, all very 

 closely impacted and felted together, somewhat after tlie manner of the 

 Humming-Bird. The whole is very softly and warmly lined with a beauti- 

 fully interwoven and silky fabric composed of the soft down of various 

 plants. 



The walls of the nest, tliough of the softest materials, are so thick and 

 so firmly impacted as to make it a structure remarkably firm and secure 

 against accidents. 



The eggs, four in number, measure .55 of an inch in length by .45 in 

 breadth. They are of an oblong-oval shape, their ground-color is a pale 

 greenish-white sjjrinkled over the entire surface with fine dottiuirs of purple, 

 reddish-brown, and black. 



