Mar., 1910 EFFECT OF ENEMIES OX NESTING HABITS OF HONDURAS BIRDS 
55 
excavated by the birds, except in those curious instances where the nest of a species 
of termite or “white ant’’ is used for this purpose. These nests are conical to 
nearly spherical in form, and from a few inches in diameter to the size of a barrel. 
They are commonly built on large branches some distance from the ground. In 
these structures, which are composed mainly of fine particles of wood cemented to- 
gether to form the walls of small, intricately winding passages, the two trogons, 
T.massena and T.melanocephalus, 
excavate holes for their nests. The 
hole is begun near the bottom and 
leads upward to about the center of 
the cone, where it expands into a 
large chamber. The birds are ab- 
solutely dependent on the insects 
for their nesting sites, which are 
remarkably safe from the attack of 
enemies. Without some such for- 
tunate means of securing a rapid 
increase it is difficult to see how 
birds so feeble and of such low 
intelligence as these trogons could 
long survive. The nest of the same 
species of termite also furnishes 
homes occasionally for certain par- 
rots and apparently always the 
Paroquet, Conurus aztec , tho these 
species excavate from the top in- 
stead of the bottom of the nest, and 
it is doubtful whether they do not 
sometimes occupy holes made in the 
termite’s nests by other animals. 
Most nests of the third type, 
such as those of the Vireonidae and 
species of Icterus , require no special 
mention. Tho not precisely of this 
type, we may place here the won- 
derful nests of the Oropendolas, 
Gyninost/nops and allied genera. 
Perhaps no birds’ nests of tropical 
America are better known than 
these; it is, therefore, sufficient to 
say that probably they are absolute- 
ly untroubled by enemies if we ex- 
cept the parasitic Rice Grackle, 
Cassidix. 
Manikins of the genera Manacus 
and Pipra make small, shallow 
nests of extremely slight structure, 
Fig. 17. NESTS OF HUMMINGBIRDS, PHAETHORNIS 
ADOLPH I ON THE DEFT, AND P. LONGrROSTRIS 
ON THE RIGHT 
and in the case of P . mentals several dry leaves are hung loosely on the outside, 
which serves as a very effectual disguise. In both instances the nest is usually sus- 
pended near the end of a long, slender branch, inaccessible to most reptiles. 
Two hummingbirds of the genus Phaethornis suspend their nest from the 
