AND OTHER BIRDS 189 



useless for purposes of close observation, being- 

 placed muisually high on a lonely tree. Most of 

 the matei'ial was gathered from a spot over 200 

 yards distant, and was carried in by the hen. On 

 each expedition she was accompanied by the 

 cock, flying far apart but on a parallel line, and 

 seeming to be exercising a close supervision. 



About this date we got, on an island in 

 Paterson Inlet, seven nests on three sequent 

 days, and of this number, two were discovered 

 by the hen's anxiety to mislead. Many species 

 in order to distract and delude, feign broken 

 wings and death agonies, but the hen Tit flutters 

 in quite an original fashion on the ground. Both 

 wings are held upright and set just at the angle 

 of the cheap toy shop birds suspended on 

 wires. The primaries are spread out very fully, 

 and the plumage about the head much ruffled. 

 Excellently, however, as the fooling was done, 

 the hen would, if very abruptly discovered, seem 

 sometimes to lose her presence of mind and in 

 the sudden start, forget her feints and affecta- 

 tions. 



The female Tit is much more cautious in 

 approaching the nest than the male, who will 

 have fed the chicks, regardless of man's presence, 

 for an hour perhaps, before the hen can make up 

 her mind to follow his example. 



One particular careful hen I remember, 

 which, although fluttering up and down and 

 round about, with provender in her bill, could 

 not make up her mind actually before me, to 

 alight on her nest. This precaution was taken 

 on her nestlings' account, not on her own, for 

 often she herself had been very near to me and 

 to my camera. Although she must have noticed 



