212 Barrows on Birds of the Loxuer Uruguay. [October 



nier entering by the door, the latter pulling the bottom of the nest 

 out and reaching eggs or young from below. The birds are by 

 no means shy, and when a nest is conveniently situated it is quite 

 easy to catch the bird in the nest after sunset. Fresh eggs may 

 be found from October till January — and the birds spend more or 

 less time in building and repairing nests throughout the entire 

 year. 



93. Homorus lophotus {Bon.). Copeton (Big-crest) 

 and Casero (House-builder).— The name Cachalote assigned 

 by most writers to this bird I have never heard at Concepcion 

 where it is well known by the name Copeton. A bird the size of 

 a Blue-jay, with uniform rufous plumage, a respectable crest, an 

 outi-ageous disposition and voice, and a nest the size of a barrel, 

 is a bird that cannot be overlooked, especially if, as is his custom, 

 he comes attended by a score or so of his immediate relatives and 

 friends. 



Like many a more pretentious creature, however, his house is 

 more interesting than himself, and we have only room for a brief 

 glance. His nest is built entirely of sticks, and many of them of 

 o-oodly size, frequently as large around as your little finger and 

 two feet or more long. These are disposed in such a way as to 

 form a structure three or four feet in length by about two in 

 breadth at the widest part, the whole very much resembling 

 a gigantic powder-flask lying on its side among the lower branches 

 of a spreading tree. It is quite loosely built and the nest cavity 

 is rather indefinite, being any portion of the floor of the nest 

 which the bird selects for the reception of the eggs. These are 

 usually three or four in number, pure white, and are laid from 

 October until January. They can usually be counted through 

 the loose floor of the nest, though sometimes its thickness pre- 

 vents this. The birds stick closely to the thickest and thorniest 

 trees, and I do not remember ever to have seen one on the ground. 

 Their voices are harsh and discordant in the extreme, and except 

 for their large and curious nests the birds would have little inter- 

 est even for the collector. 



( To be continued.') 



