THE ANI. 9 



but unable to fly, hopping about the branches of the nesting- tree ; and on another 

 occasion, some, more advanced, searching for insects in the grass at the roots of 

 a large guango tree, in company with many old birds." 



The eggs of the Ani are glaucous-blue in color, and this is overlaid and 

 hidden by a thin, chalky, white deposit; as incubation advances the eggs become 

 more or less scratched and the blue underneath is then plainly visible in places, 

 giving them a very peculiar appearance. In shape they vary from oval to 

 elliptical oval; the shell is fine grained, rather strong, and without luster. 



The average measurement of forty eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection, mostly from the West Indies, is 34.66 by 26 millimetres, or 

 about 1.36 by 1.02 inches. The largest egg of the series measures 39.62 by 

 26.67 millimetres, or 1.56 by 1.05 inches; the smallest, 29.21 by 23.37 millimetres, 

 or 1.15 by 0.92 inches. 



The type specimen, No. 6048 (PI. 1, Fig. 6), from a nest containing seven 

 eggs, was taken bv Mr. W. T. March, near Spanish Town, Jamaica, on July 30. 

 1862. 



3. Crotophaga sulcirostris Swainson. 



GROOVE-BILLED ANI. 



Crotophaga sulcirostris Swainson, Philosophical Magazine, I, 1827, 440. 

 (B — , C — , E 390, C 426, U 384.) 



Geographical range : Along the western slopes of the Andes, in South America, 

 to the Pacific coast; from Peru north through Central America on both coasts, and through 

 Mexico to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and southern Lower California. Casual 

 in the United States in southern Florida, southern Louisiana, southern Arizona, and 

 California. 



The breeding range of the Groove-billed Ani or Jewbird within the United 

 States is a very limited one and appears to be confined to the Lower Rio Grande 

 Valley in Texas, where it was first discovered near Lomita by Mr. George B. 

 Sennett, on May 19, 1878, and added by him to our fauna. Since then it has 

 been found breeding in small numbers in chaparral in the vicinity of Browns- 

 ville, and its nest and three sets of eggs were taken there and are now in the 

 Ralph collection in the United States National Museum. 



It straggles occasionally along the Gulf coast to southern Louisiana. Mr. 

 E. A. Mcllhenny shot one of these birds on Avery's Island on August 23, 1891, 

 which is now in his collection, and it has also been taken in Florida. It is a 

 common resident in suitable localities throughout the greater part of Mexico, 

 the southern parts of Lower California, the whole of Central America, along 

 both coasts, and those portions of South America situated on the western slopes 

 of the Andes south to Peru. It is a bird of the lowlands, being rarely met with 

 at altitudes over 700 feet, and it is generally resident wherever found. 



Prof. A. L. Herrara, of the National Museum of the City of Mexico, has 

 kindly furnished me with the following notes : 



