244 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



"One egg had disappeared. The nest was Vireo-like, cup- 

 shaped, suspended from the forked twigs. It was not very firm, 

 light showing through it everywhere. The material was coarse 

 grasses and thin rootlets. Cobweb was used where the nest was 

 in contact with the twigs, and several dead leaves were loosely 

 attached with this material to the outside of the nest. The dia- 

 meters of the nest were, 70 mm. outside and 50 mm. inside ; the 

 depths, 50 mm. outside and 40 inside. 



" The egg measured 21 x 15"5 mm. The ground colour was 

 dull yellowish white, with numerous pale brown and lilac 

 markings, mostly linear, running lengthways, and more numerous 

 around the larger end. 



" Two days later, on March 10, 1 sat down in a small glade near 

 the same animal trail. It was early morning and the sun was not 

 near its full strength, I listened to the chirps of birds drinking 

 at a black jungle creek near by, and watched a hummin»-bird pick 

 cobweb in the intervals of violeut battle with another species. 

 Then a female manakin whirled pyst, and I followed her as she fed 

 on small berries near the tops of some saplings. After fifteen 

 minutes of this fitful occupation she swooped downward, straight 

 to a tiny nest, which to this moment had been invisible to me. 

 Here, suspended from a slender fork just over a pool of black 

 water, she brooded two eggs. 



" A week later the young birds hatched, and on March 20, I 

 photographed and examined the three-days-old young. One of 

 them, a female, was reddish flesh-colour, with yellow gape and 

 yellowish-brown legs and feet. The eyes and the upper surface 

 of the wings were dark leaden. 



"• The do^yn was sparse, long, and whitish grey in colour, there 

 was none on the hind lej;-, but a line of six, strong feather-sheaths 

 with long down attached along the outer aspect of the side .of the 

 body, with traces of at least three covert-sheaths. These all lay 

 along the femur. 



"Ten primaries were • apparent, lookin<j like small, nearly 

 straight claws, giving to the posterior side of the forewing a saw- 

 like appearance. The outer four feathers were somewhat larger 

 and perfectly straight ; the succeeding six were quite distinct, 

 being curved forward. Only a single claw-like feather-tip 

 appeared on the thumb. 



