every stage of construction, from the first circular row of wet pellets to the perfect nest 

 inhabited by a family of young birds nearly fledged. On the outside (for the roofs 

 inside bad been taken possession of also) I counted 123 nests. The rafters under the 

 eaves were covered by the nests in many places. The nests were placed one upon 

 another. The sill of one window had a row of nests upon it ; and I observed one or 

 two nests affixed to the sides of the walls of the house. The nest is very large for so 

 small a bird. Tbe one I removed weighs two pounds ; it stands 7 inches high, and is 6-| 

 inches wide at the base. The neck is about 2^ inches long and 2 wide. The lining is 

 very scanty, scarcely sufficient to cover the bottom of the nest, and is composed of a few 

 bits of fine grasses with one or two feathers. The eggs which I found in this nest, in 

 which incubation had many days commenced, were three in number, white, thickly 

 speckled with reddish brown ; they are ten twelfths of an inch long by seven broad. 



" I never saw anything more beautiful than the appearance of a colony of these birds 

 in their curious-shaped nests, out of which project the heads of the owners at the slightest 

 alarm. It is by no means a shy bird ; while I was examining the nests they flew around 

 me like bees, almost touching my face, uttering piteous cries. I felt sorry to see the 

 distress of the parent birds whose nest I removed. 



" Of the nest I brought away I made a drawing, and sent copies of it to almost every 

 part of Peru, and in a short time I was in possession of many important facts respecting 

 its range in Peru. Unfortunately, about this time difficulties between Chili and Peru 

 commenced, and soon after broke out the terrible war of the Pacific. Personal obser- 

 vations and postal inquiries became impossible. Since the departure of the Chilian army 

 and the return of the Peruvian authorities, I have done all I could to add to my 

 knowledge of its range and habits, but I regret to say with little success. The colony 

 I first discovered was swept away, the bones of many of my friends are laid under the 

 battle-field, and the state of the country renders it unsafe to stray far from the city gates. 



" According to rny present knowledge of this species, it seems to be confined to the 

 cultivated lands in the river districts of the narrow strips of arid country situated 

 between the Pacific and the mouths of the Andean valleys, from the southern border of 

 the great desert of Sechura to the desert of lea, from about 7° to 13° S. latitude. It is 

 remarkable that I have never been able to obtain any evidence that it builds its nest on 

 a rock or cliff, or that it is seen inside the mouth of the Andean valleys. The nest is 

 always found on human habitations. In the vicinity of Lima and within twelve miles 

 of the walls there are at present fourteen colonies." 



The description and the figures in the accompanying Plates have been taken from 

 the specimens presented to the British Museum by Professor Nation. 



o2 



