286 



THE BUSH-TIT. 



it uiit more daintily. This, by the way, is no fanciful comjiarison, for there 

 is a strong strain of Wren blood in Bush-Tit's veins. 



Nest-building begins on Puget Sound about the middle of March, at a 

 time when the shrubber}- is only beginning to leaf. Early nests, like the one 

 in our illustration, may be perfectly exposed. Indeed, the birds appear to be 

 at no pains to effect concealment, but trust to the general protection afforded 

 by the presence of other such masses, the withered panicles of "ocean spray" 

 or spiraea, drooping mosses, and collections of unfallen leaves, in the draperies 

 of the underforest. The pendant pouch is composed chiefl)- of moss niade 

 fast by vegetable fibres and cob-webs, and snugly felted with vegetable downs. 

 The lining is composed sometimes exclusively of white felt, Ijut oftener of 

 plant-down mingled with wool, fur, or feathers. 



Egg-laj'ing may begin as soon as the nest is decently framed, or again, it 

 may be deferred for a week or ten da}s after the structure is practically com- 



p 1 e t e. But, 

 however that 

 may be, the 

 birds ne\'er rest 

 from their la- 

 in )rs. A Bush- 

 Tit's nest is 

 like the James- 

 t o w n F a i r, 

 ne\-er finished. 

 The nest must 

 be ornamented 

 w i t h lichens, 

 Photo by petals, spider- 



Bohlman and Fitilcy. . . 



egg cases, bits 

 of tissue pa- 

 per, — in short, whatever takes the fancy of the birds in the course of their 

 restless foravs. The interior furnishings, likewise, must be continually aug- 

 mented. If the bottom of the nest \vas only an inch thick at the outset, it is 

 built up from within until it attains a thickness of two or three inches. Even 

 tho the eggs be near to hatching, the tlu-ifty hcaisewife, as she returns from 

 an airing, must needs lug in a l)eakful of feathers, which it would have been 

 a shame to waste, )-ou know. Besides this, the male bird has two or three 

 shanties under construction in the neighborhood, upon which lie can profit- 

 ably put in those tedious hours between three a. m. and sunset. 



The mother Tit lays six or eight pearly white eggs, and these the Steller 

 Jay counts quite the daintiest item on his bill of fare. Hence, of all the 

 Bush-Tits' nests one sees in a season, fnll\- half have been slit open and 



BUSH-TIT. 



