THE OSPKEY. 47 



STest: diameter, i x 3^; outside, 2^; inside depth, 5| x 2i inches, outwardly 

 lead blades of grass, interior fine grasses and horse hair, 2 feet above ground 

 n tops of dense marshgrass beside a ditch, through low muddy cocoanut grove. 

 Jl-3 Mayaguez, Feb. 11, 19, 1901. Fresh. Nest: diameter, 5^ x If; depth, 

 5x1^ of fine weedstttlks, rootlets, grasses, leaves, one feather and few horse- 

 lairs, 2^ feet from ground in a foliage plant in flower beds at Infantry bar- 

 racks. 22-3 Aguadilla, Feb. 22, 1901. Heavily incubated. Nest: diameter, 

 2f X 2; depth, 4x2 inches, fine grasses and rootlets, 8 feet from ground, in 

 arge bush in open pasture. 23-3 Aguadilla, Fob. 25, 1901. Heavily incu- 

 bated. Nest of fine straws, grasses and few horsehairs, 6 feet up in top of 

 >niall mango stub, among shoots growing from same, in cofi'ee grove. 24-3 

 same place and date. Heavily incubated. Nest of fine grasses, straw and 

 fveedstems, 5 feet up in coffee bush in small coffee grove. 25-3 Mayaguez, 

 Feb. 26, 1901. Heavily incubated. Nest of fine dry grasses and few horse- 

 hairs, 2^ feet up in vine growing over bush in bushy tiact of plantation. 26-3 

 Mayaguez, May 25, 1901. About 4 days incubation. Nest: diameter, 4 x If; 

 iepth, 6^ I 2^ inches, of fine grasses, weed-stalks and fibres, 5 feet up in 

 small orange tree in cocoanut grove (this is the nest illustrated). 27-3 Maya- 

 guez, May 26, 1901. Fresh. Nest: diameter, 3| x 2; depth, 5 x 2| inches, 

 )f dried grasses and fine rootlets, 3 feet up in low bush in tangle on hillside. 

 28-3 same place and date. Incubation begun. Nest: diameter, 3^ x 1|; 

 Iepth, 4x1^ inches, of grasses, leaves and blades of rushes, 3 feet from 

 JTOund, in bush in jungle on hillside. In each case inside depth given is from 

 lower edge of entrance. A pair raised a brood in a cactus in barracks grounds 

 md I tried to obtain a photo with set camera, but shyness and quickness of the 

 sird combined to make the result a failure. 



At first I thought the above dates of breeding showed a promiscuous more 

 Dr less continuous nesting throughout the year. On examination however it 

 seems to show three fairly well defined periods during which as many broods 

 are reared. It will be noticed there are no records for January. During the 

 latter part of that month birds at Vieques were nest building to some extent. 

 Of the twenty-eight records eight were for February, more than for any other 

 month showing this to be the period for incubating, first layings March and 

 April have no records, the birds being at that time rearing their young and 

 resting prior to the next attempt. 



This seems not to commence till late May, and extends scatteringly into 

 June. The few scattering July records may be sets laid, where a nest had 

 been destroyed previously. During late, hot summer and the moulting season, 

 and October gives but one record and not until the 18th of November, how- 

 ever, sees the bulk of the third layings for the season and the records come 

 within one of equalling February. One of the two December records was 



