8 LIFE HISTOEIES OF KORTH AMERICAN BIRDS; 



is slow and gliding, somewhat labored, and of little duration, the birds often 

 appearing to fall short of the point originally aimed at. Yet they will chase the 

 large yellow butterflies, and I was shown a large green locust that one of these 

 birds was seen to capture in flight and afterwards drop. In the progress of a 

 flock from place to place they do not usually fly all together, but move away in 

 straggling groups or couples. One or more individuals first start ofl^ with their 

 wailing call, followed soon after by two or three; after a Httle delay, then two 

 more go; another pause, then one, then three, and so on. If a tree has very 

 dense fohage, they alight (with much awkward scrambling) on the tops or 

 extremities of the highest branches, where they may gain a clear and uninter- 

 rupted view, and this is usually the case when they are traversing very open 

 country. 



"Their nesting habits are exceedingly curious and interesting. Many indi- 

 viduals (possibly members of one flock) work together in the construction of a 

 large nest, in which all the females of the company lay their eggs. The number 

 of eggs deposited in different nests varies greatly, but is of course dependent on 

 the number of birds in a company. Six and eight eggs are commonly found. 

 I once took eleven, and in August, last year, I saw a clutch of twenty-one that 

 had been taken from a single nest. It is probable that normally not more than 

 two eggs are deposited by each bird, but nothing definite can be said on this 

 point. The nest, which is usually placed high up in a tall tree, very frequently 

 in a clump of mistletoe on a 'bastard cedar,' is a large, loosely constructed mass 

 of twigs, entirely lined with dried leaves. But the most remarkable circum- 

 stance in connection with the nesting of these birds is the deposition of the eggs 

 in regular layers, with leaves between. This custom I had long heard of before 

 an opportunity off'ered for personal observation. In the first nest I examined 

 the eggs were in two distinct layers, separated by a deep bed of dry leaves; the 

 bottom layer consisted of four eggs, and these, strange to say, were all infertile. 

 I believe this singular habit is practiced in all cases where a large number of 

 birds resort to the same nest. The eggs are a deep bluish green, but when 

 freshly laid are covered with a white, chalky coat, which soon becomes much 

 scratched and erased on all. Now, what seems very singular is that compara- 

 tively little of this chalky covering gets i-ubbed off the sides, where, from the 

 turning over of the eggs in the nest, we should expect to see the greatest extent 

 of denudation, whereas one or both ends are nearly always wholly denuded. 

 That this circumstance is not merely accidental I feel sure, as in a large series of 

 clutches that I have examined more than two-thirds of the number of eggs show 

 this pecuharity. So cleanly and evenly is it done, and to such an extent, that I 

 feel confident that it is the work of the birds themselves, their beaks alone being 

 able to accomplish it. At the same time it is easy to see that the marks and 

 scratches at the sides are the result of friction with the twigs and leaves of the 

 nest. Average measurements of the eggs are 1.33 by 1.20 inches. I have found 

 eggs and young in February and throughout the succeeding months to August, 

 two or three broods probably being reared. I have also seen young, fully fledged, 



