3IO SNODGRASS AND HELLER 



ieur-lee', teur-lee' , teur-lee', teur-lee' , nearly always consisting of four 

 sets. This was similar to one of the songs of the birds at Tagus Cove 

 on Albemarle, but the birds there seldom uttered more than two sets 

 in succession. The Seymour birds were not heard to utter this song 

 with the first syllable accented — -a form of song so common with the 

 Tagus Cove birds. Still another song resembled tee' -ivee-wee , fee'- 

 ■wee-ivJe, fee'-tuee-'wel. 



On Charles Island this species was very common. In going up the 

 trail from Black Beach Landing to the higher central part of the 

 island the birds were found to be much more abundant along the 

 second half than lower down where other forms predominated. In 

 fact, only a few specimens of this species were found below the spring 

 on the trail, situated perhaps a third or more of the distance up, while 

 from here to the top it was by far the most common Geospiza species. 

 We were at Charles Island during the first of May. A very common 

 song resembled teu-wink' , teu-wink' . The second syllable had a de- 

 cidedly different sound from anything heard elsewhere. They also 

 sang skee'-ivee, skee'-tuee, skel'-ivee, or something of this sort ; it being 

 much the same in character as the common teur'-wee at Tagus Cove, 

 differing from this conspicuously, however, in the consonant sound of 

 the first syllable. 



On Duncan Island this species was the only common Geospiza. It 

 was abundant within the crater, but ouside of it was scarce. 



We have eight nests of Geospiza fuliginosa parvula taken about 

 Tagus Cove on Albemarle Island during March. They are all very 

 similar and resemble in shape the nest of Catnarhynchus crassirostris 

 already described. All are large, having the longest diameter vertical, 

 varying in height from one hundred and forty to two hundred milli- 

 meters, and in width from ten to twelve millimeters. The entrance is 

 generally oval and mostly above the middle of the side, being gener- 

 ally about fifty by forty millimeters in dimensions with the longer 

 diameter vertical. The nest is entirely and thickly roofed over above, 

 and often the part above the entrance is almost overhanging. The 

 front is generally more or less flattened. The nests are never suspended, 

 being always supported from below, but may have accessory lateral 

 braces. Nests from Tagus Cove and Iguana Cove, Albemarle, are 

 composed of slender stems of small plants, stems of vines, grasses 

 and bark of larger soft plants. Four nests have interwoven all through 

 the coarser material numerous bits of cotton plucked from the cotton 

 bushes, which are abundant at both places. The cotton in the nests is 

 all in isolated heads detached from their stems. Leaves are very sel- 



