Geotrygon [= Oreopelia] montana (Linné). —Eggs listed by Nehrkorn (l. c., p. 186) from Rio Grande, Mexico, and Porto Rico, brownish, 27 × 21 mm. F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1908, i, p. 347) say that the nest is very much like that of Leptoptila, placed on low branches of trees and in bushes; eggs, short-elliptical, brownish cream-color, 27 × 21.5 mm.; breeds in the Dry Season. Site, nest, and eggs, have also been described by Lawrence (Proc. U. S. N. M., 1879, i, p. 276), by Wells (Ibid., 1887, p. 625), and by Scott (Auk, 1892, ix, p. 124, quoting Taylor).
Porzana albicollis (Vieillot). —Nehrkorn (l. c., p. 202) describes eggs from Surinam, meas. 35 × 26 mm. Ihering (l. c., p. 286) describes eggs received from Iguape, meas. 35-26 × 27-28; he says that the eggs described by Euler (l. c., p. 102) undoubtedly belong to another species. F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1908, i, p. 206) describe habits, site, nest, and eggs, meas. 35 × 27 mm.
Creciscus viridis (P. L. S. Müller). —Nehrkorn (l. c., p. 203) describes eggs from “Guyana,” meas. 32 × 23 mm. F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1908, i, p. 210) describe habits, nest, and site fully; eggs two, rarely three, usually oval, pure white, almost without gloss, meas. 32 × 26 mm.; they say further that the eggs do not vary much, some having a few black-brown spots at the large end; in the nests are often found infertile and abnormal eggs.
Caprimulgus [= Nyctipolus] nigrescens Cabanis.—Nehrkorn (l. c., p. 156) lists eggs from Amazonia, meas. 23.5 × 18.5 mm. F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1910, ii, p. 78) describe eggs, one or two, barely glossy, elliptical, pale yellowish-rose, distinctly spotted and blotched with chocolate-brown and purple-gray, meas. 25 × 18.5 mm. The eggs described by Schomburgk (l. c., p. 711) must have belonged to another species.
Empidonomus varius varius (Vieillot). —Mr. Beebe (l. c., p. 225) states that “although the eggs of this species have been collected no description of the nest has been given.” We would call attention to description of a nest by Ihering (Rev. Mus. Paulista, 1914, ix, p. 443 and p. 482); the nest was collected by Garbe near Joazeiro, Bahia, in November, 1913.
Pipra aureola aureola (Linné). —F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1910, ii, p. 188) describe site and nest fully, giving measurements; the eggs are described as two, dull brownish gray, with numerous dark-brown spots, streaks, and dots, over the entire surface, but usually, on one of the eggs of a clutch, forming a wreath at the middle; meas. 21 × 15.5 mm.
Cyanerpes cyaneus cyaneus (Linné). —F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1910, ii, p. 475) say that the nests and eggs, 20 × 14 mm., do not differ much from those of C. cærulea, under which name they give full descriptions of nests and eggs. The eggs are described as two in number, oval, almost without gloss, black or purplish black-brown. The nest is described as made of little black roots, pear-shaped or shoe-shaped, with entrance low down at the side, measuring 16 cm. high and 9 cm. across, suspended like the nest of Todirostrum from twigs two to five feet from ground. J. A. Allen (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 1891, iii, p. 348) under the name Arbelorhina cyanea describes an egg collected by H. H. Smith, “taken with parents, Oct. 13, 1882,” in Matto Grosso, Brazil, but judging from the description, it must have belonged to some other species.
Under the general heading of “Seed eaters” Mr. Beebe (l. c., p. 237), speaking of Oryzoborus angolensis brevirostris, Oryzoborus crassirostris, and Sporophila castaneiventris, says, “Familiarity breeds contempt. There could be no truer saying than where these little finches were concerned. In spite of diligent search through all the few reports and excerpts on the subject, no description of the home or eggs of these birds could be found, and yet, in April and May, their nests were everywhere.” H. Lloyd Price, in his paper on “The Nests and Eggs of some common Guiana Birds” (Timehri, 1891, p. 64), says in a general way, “Various species of small finches or grass birds (Spermophila, etc.), build tiny nests in the long grass growing at the sides of the trenches; they are generally made of dry grass, and occasionally of dry sticks. The eggs, two in number, are of a grayish white spotted with either red, brown or grey, and of various sizes.” Much more definite information in regard to the breeding habits, nests, and eggs of the seed-eaters will be found in the works of F. P. and A. P. Penard, Ihering, Euler, and Nehrkorn. We would call attention to the following accounts pertaining to the species mentioned by Mr. Beebe:
Oryzoborus angolensis brevirostris Berlepsch. —Nehrkorn (l. c., p. 105) describes eggs from Brazil. Ihering (Rev. Mus. Paulista, 1900, iv, p. 213) describes nest and eggs. F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1910, ii, p. 388) says that the nest is smaller than that of O. crassirostris; the eggs are fully described. All these authors deal with this species under the name O. torridus.
Sporophila castaneiventris Cabanis. —Nehrkorn (l. c., p. 105) describes eggs from Amazonia. F. P. and A. P. Penard (l. c., 1910, ii, p. 389) describe habits, nest, and eggs fully. They add the following interesting remarks (translated): “The examples vary very much in form and color as well as in measurements. In many the markings form a distinct wreath about the larger end, others being uniformly covered with gray-brown or brown. Those with wreathed ends are usually of a more oval shape than the evenly covered eggs, but both types are often found together in the same nest. It is thought [by the natives] that the more pointed egg hatches the male, and the browner egg the female. Eggs of a more spherical shape are less common with this species than with the next [S. minuta].”