BIRDS 



325 



MEASUREMENTS OF ADULT SPECIMENS OF Geosfiza fortis 



fortis. — Continued . 



ever did the bird make any variation. Another male bird of the same 

 species was observed flying about in the neighborhood of a tree in 

 which was a large Geospiza nest with eggs uttering continually 

 these same notes. No female, however, was ever to be seen about or 

 in the nest and the eggs were always cold so she had probably been 

 killed, yet the male remained in the neighborhood singing as if the 

 female were still on the nest. 



During March a bird at Tagus Cove was heard singing fee'uf- 

 twee'u. 



At Iguana Cove in December one bird vyas observed singing a song 

 resembling twee^-ur'r'r, twee'-ur'r'r. This was uttered generally 

 twice in succession, often only once, sometimes three times. (The 

 representatives of the species at Iguana Cove belong to the subspecies 

 G. f. platyrkyncha.') 



On James Island about James Bay the relative numbers of Geosfiza 

 fuliginosa farvula and G. fortis fortis were just the reverse of what 

 they were at Tagus Cove, Albemarle. Here on James the G. fortis 

 was the commonest species of Geospiza. Their song very much re- 

 sembled the common song of the individuals at Tagus Cove, sound- 

 ing somewhat like teu'-we, teu'-we. 



On Charles Island one song of Geospiza fortis fortis almost ex- 

 actly resembled the song of G. fuliginosa parvula of Tagus Cove. 

 The accent was always on the first syllable and may be represented 

 thus: teur'-Tvee, teur'-ivee — no difference was noticed that could be 

 described by alphabetical sounds. The same birds, however, sang 

 numerous different songs. 



Two nests collected at Tagus Cove in March were placed in bushes, 

 and are of the same shape as the nests of G. fuliginosa described. 

 Both were composed almost wholly of grasses, but were very 

 Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., January, 1904. 



