546 CPCULTD^. 1 



{Nutting), Blewfields(Tr<cMam8), Escondido E. {Richmond ^^) ; Costa Rica (//o^r 

 mann ^^, v. Frantzius i^), San Jose {Carmiol ^^, Boucard ^i, Zeledon ^^\ Cherrie ^^), 

 La Palma^^, V. de Irazu^^ {Nutting), Alajuela, Cartago {Zeledon ^^) ; Panama, 

 Calovevora, Castillo {Arce'^'^), Lion Hill {M'Leannan i^). — CoLOidBiA33 ; W. Ecua- 

 dor ®^ ; Peru ^^. 



One of the most familiar birds in Central America is Crotophaga sulcirostris, occuning 

 everywhere in open pastures and savanas and associating in small flocks with cattle, 

 from which they pick the ticks adhering to their skins. It occurs beyond the Eio 

 Grande, in Texas, where Mr. Sennett first noticed it at Lomita, and whence Mr. Arm- 

 strong has sent us a series of specimens from Brownsville. Lower California is also 

 included in its range. In South America it is found exclusively on the western side of 

 the continent as far south as Peru. 



Writing concerning it in Western Mexico, Grayson says: — "This is a common resident 

 species in this locality, and throughout the western tierra caliente. Eight or ten 

 birds associate together in small flocks, and are fond of picking the ticks off' the 

 cattle. The nest is usually built in a thorny tree or bush, at a moderate height, and 

 composed of thorns and dry twigs exteriorly, and lined with fibrous roots ; the eggs are 

 usually five, the outside of the shell is rough and white, the inside is green." This 

 note gives no indication that Grayson was aware of the fact of several birds laying 

 in a common nest. This is made clear by Senor Alfaro's observations, as given by 

 Mr. Cherrie ^^ : — " The ' Zopilotillo ' is very abundant in the fields near Tambor (a little 

 town about twenty miles north-west of San Jose), where, along the hedgerows and in 

 the scrubby timber, as well as on the skins of cattle, they find those insects which 

 constitute their food — the ticks, or garrapatas, which adhere to the head and neck and 

 legs of the cattle. In this locality I have collected three nests in the month of May, 

 the first with nine eggs, the second with eleven, the third with thirteen. The nests 

 that I have collected agree with the observations made by Zeledon. The structure is 

 voluminous, composed chiefly of coarse dead twigs, but presents one peculiarity not 

 observed in any other bird, viz. the nest being lined with fresh green leaves. My 

 specimens were all placed in low trees, and none were at a greater height than three 

 metres. One had been built above an old nest of one of the larger Tyrannidae. On 

 the 20th May I noticed a Zopilotillo with a dry stick in its bill, which was immediately 

 carried to a hedgerow and deposited with three others. After assuring myself that the 

 bird was building its nest there I retired, with the intention of returning at a more 

 opportune moment. And when, one week later, I returned to the same spot, what 

 was my surprise to see not only the nest completed and containing six eggs, but in the 

 thorns and leaves about it were scattered seven more eggs ; so that if the collection 

 was not the produce of several Zopilotillos, a single bird would have deposited at least 

 two eggs daily. In finding some- of the eggs scattered in the leaves one of the 



