On the Genus E taenia. 375 



The nests of some species of Elaenia are said to be true 

 masterpieces of the art of texture as exercised by birds, being' 

 ornamented on the outside by pieces of bark and white lichen, 

 interwoven with cobwebs and cotton wool, etc. 



They are generally placed on forks of twigs or saddled on 

 a large limb, situated either high up or very low down [four 

 feet over the water in the case of E. f. subpagana (Cherrie), 

 two to four feet from the ground in the case of E. atbiceps 

 (Lane)] and have often such a striking resemblance to the 

 surroundings that they are difficult to discover. 



They are either cup-shaped, the cup being fastened with 

 thighs surrounding the twig (as in the case of E. flavogaster — 

 Euler), or have the form of an inverted short-necked retort with 

 the entrance at the bottom on one side, produced to form the 

 neck of the retort and suspended against a small upright branch, 

 to which they are strongly fastened (as in the case of E. f.. 

 subpagana— fide Allen). Mr. Cherrie says the nest of E. f. 

 subpagana resembles that of Horizopus virens. The eggs, 

 generally two in number (Euler says that E. flavogaster lays 

 three eggs) are white, creamy-white, or salmon-coloured with 

 a zone of spots of different shades of brown round the larger 

 end. They are said to resemble somewhat those of Lanius 

 collurio (in the case of E. martinica — -fiele Sunde vail), or those 

 of Seiurus aurocapUlus (in the case of E. f. subpagana — 

 fide Allen). 



Special cases. 



E. flavogaster : Eggs white with violet or reddish-brown 

 round spots and dots on the larger half (Euler) ; of a beauti- 

 ful rich cream-colour, marked with reddish-brown patches 

 and spots forming an irregular zone near the thick end 

 (Cherrie, Berlepsch and Hartert) ; pale buff with a pink tinge 

 and a circle of brown and purple spots round the blunt end 

 (as observed in Carriacou by Mr. Wells). 



17 — 19 ^ 15 mm. (Nehrkorn . 



24 x 16-6 — 24 x 17-1 mm. (Beri, et Hart.). 

 E. flavogaster subpagana : Eggs creamy-white speckled 

 chiefly about the larger end with spots varying in colour from 

 a dark chestnut or liver-brown to orano-e-rufous. 



