PARI D.E — THE TITMICE. 123 



concert with great earnestness for several days, until the liole, which is ruiuul, 

 and nut larger at the entrance than the body of the bird, is chig ten or twelve 

 inches deep, widening at the bottom. The eggs, according to Mr. Audubon, 

 are laid on the bare wood. This, however, is probably not their constant 

 habit. The eggs, from four to six in number, and not nuich larger than those 

 of the Humming-Bird, have a white ground, tliickly sprinkled with tine red- 

 disli-browu dots. They are said to raise two, and even three, broods in a 

 season. According to tlie observations of the late Dr. (ierhardt of Northern 

 Georgia, the Brown-headed Xuthatch breeds in that part of the (.'ountry about 

 the 19th of April. 



The eggs of this Nuthatch are of a rounded oval shape, measuring .(50 b}'' 

 .50 of an inch. Their white ground-color is so completely overlaid by a pro- 

 fusion of fine dottings of a dark purjilish-brown as to be entirely concealed, 

 and the egg appears almost as if a uniform chocolate or brown color. 



