102 Brewster on the Black- Capped Vireo. 
tecture. In a few points of detail, however, it differs slightly from 
any Yireo’s nest that I have seen. Although, generally speaking, 
of the ordinary cup-shaped form, the walls are unusually thick and 
firmly felted, and the entrance being very much contracted, the 
bulging sides arch over to the mouth of the nest, giving to the 
whole a nearly spherical shape. This peculiarity may be of an in- 
dividual nature, though it is conspicuously shown in the specimen 
represented by Mr. Werner’s drawing (see the last foot-note). The 
measurements of my nest are as follows : Greatest external diame- 
ter, 2.90 ; external depth, 2.25 ; internal diameter at mouth, 1.30 
x 1.68 ; internal depth, 1.40 ; greatest thickness of walls, .63. Of 
the materials which compose it little really need be said, save that 
they are of the general kind and appearance made use of by most 
Vireos ; but for the benefit of the critical in such matters, I will 
present the following analysis, premising that, as I have never been 
in Texas, I am not posted on the botany of that State, and conse- 
quently feel somewhat incompetent to identify the collections em- 
bodied in their domicile by the industrious little birds. The great 
bulk of the structure, however, is made up of fine strips of reddish 
bark, probably from some species of cedar, layers of small, delicate, 
bleached leaves of a former year’s growth, a few coarse grasses, one 
or two catkins, and several spiders’ cocoons. These are firmly 
bound together, and the whole attached to the forked twigs above 
by fine shreds of vegetable fibre, caterpillars’ or spiders’ silk, and 
sheep’s wool. The lining is of fine grasses and what appear to be 
the slender needles of some coniferous tree, the whole being arranged 
with that wonderful smoothness and care which belong to the high- 
est order of nest-builders alone. Mr. Werner’s nest, to judge from 
the sketch already mentioned, is almost identical with mine. He 
describes it as “pendent, similar to that of Vireo belli , perhaps 
rather more bulky. The outside is composed of dried leaves and 
grass, interwoven with spiders’ webs and lined with fine grass and 
rootlets. The greatest diameter is 3 inches; inside diameter, 1.75 
inch ; depth, 1.80 inch ; thickness of walls, from .45 to .60 of an 
inch.” The eggs found in my nest measure respectively 68 x .53 ; 
.66 x .53 ; .67 x .52 ; .68 x .55. They are regularly ovoid in shape, 
and of a uniform pure, though rather dull, white, without spots or 
marking of any kind. In this last respect all the specimens ob- 
tained during the past season in Comal County, Texas, agree. In 
reply to my inquiries on this point, Mr. Werner assures me that 
