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94 THE CONDOR [ VOL. V The bright tropical sun was now high in the heavens, and most of the birds had sought shady retreats to pass the stifling heat of midday in silence. We heard only the harsh notes of chachalacas, and the soft cooing of wood pigeons on the hillside, as we started on our return. Space is lacking to mention in detail the many incidents of our walk back to Juan Vinas, or the wealth of tropical verdure and insect life on which our eyes feasted. Great, superb Morpho butterflies, with wings of iridescent blue, often came flapping by in the narrow trail, only to immediately disappear in the jungle. When followed, tantalizing flashes of blue would lead me far back into densest thickets, where my phantom would disappear completely, and unless I chanced to see the dark outline, and large owl-like eye spots of the under wings against the lichen-covered tree trunk to which the insect clung, it was rare indeed that I gathered one into the folds of my net. In the darkest shades, where the rays of sunlight seldom penetrated the leafy mantle overhead, hundreds of Heliconians--butterflies with transparent wings, varied with shades of brown, red, black, white and blue--danced about in the soft light presenting a most mystifying appearance when seen for the first time. Here, also, two large Caligo butterflies were met with, even larger than the Morpho; the upper wings, instead of bright blue, a dark brown or plumbeous color--modified to harmonize with the perpetual shades of their environment. ,But I have wandered far from my subject and taken up too much v'aluable space. Suffice it to say that for two weeks each day was a repetition of the first days of unalloyed pleasure. Among our pleasant memories of Juan Vinas, and the one which will without doubt be the most lasting, was a midnight serenade accorded us by the two Gatos (eats), wandering Indian musicians of the Tuecirici tribe. Neither of the Indians had ever seen a musical note, yet they played the guitar with a remarkable depth of tone, and produced the most ravishing strains of music--strains which could have their origin only in the soul of one in complete harmony with Nature's music. Nesting Habits of the Shufeldt Junco BY HERMAN T. BOHLMAN A SHORT description of the nesting habits of two Shufeldt juncos (funco ore- ganus shufeldti) which came under my observation in the spring of ?9or, may be of interest to fellow students of bird-lore. I have iound the junco in the vicinity of Portland to be very partial in the selection of a nesting site, to the cuts or embankments which exist along the rail- road, electric lines and country roads which wind through the hills south of town. It has been my habitl when the first of May comes around each year, and later as well, 'to make short expeditions along these lines, and 'switch the cuts' as we termed it. On arriving at the field of operation a light, green sapling, twelve to fifteen feet long was cut, and as I nearly always have a companion in the field, we would walk up the track, diligently applying our switches to the embankments, until we were rewarded by the flushing of a junco from its nest, while the rush and roar of the passing train never disturbed the occupant. On May r4, r9or, two nests were discovered in this way not coo yards apart, that were peculiar in the marked difference of their lining. In other respects the