NO. I 



SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I919 



35 



that the eggs are rather large for the size of the hird, measuring, 

 roughly, about one inch by three-quarters of an inch in diameter. 

 The description of the nest, as furnished to Dr. Abbott by the man 

 who made the actual examination, indicates a radical departure from 

 other known types of birds' nests, but a careful study of the interior 

 of the mass by a competent observer will be re(|uired before the 

 strange arrangement of the individual nests can be considered as 

 accurately known. Dr. Abbott writes : " The communal nest was 



Fk;. 35. — Eggs of the Palm Chat (IJultts doiiiiiiicits ) . 



built in a small royal palm, about 25 feet from the ground. The nest 

 was about 4^ feet in diameter, and about the same in height, l^uilt 

 of a loose mass of sticks from i to 2 feet long, al)out the thickness 

 of bone knitting needles. There ap])eared to be but one entrance, 

 from above. A local man (John King) climbed the tree and gave 

 me the description of the internal construction of the nest. The 

 entrance passage was narrow and crooked and led into a large 

 central chamber about the size of a small bucket. The nests were 

 placed around this on shelves of softer materials (fine bark, etc.). 

 All four eggs were in one nest. The other five nests were still empty. 



