THE OSPREY 



81 



NEST OF THE PIED-BILLED GREBE. 

 PHOTOGRAPHED, IN SITU, BY T. L. HANKINSON. BY COURTESY OF THE MICHIGAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



contained five slightly incubated eggs. The nest was 

 loosely constructed of dry weed stalks and grass 

 stems, with a few strips of thin plant bark and lined 

 with horse-hair and fibers of the soap-root. May 12 

 a nest was found placed on a fallen limb of a tree 

 about two feet from the ground, concealed by vines. 

 It contained three eggs. On the same day a second 

 nest was discovered one foot from the ground con- 

 taining three eggs. Both sets were one-fourth incu- 

 bated. All of these nests were well hidden and were 

 found by the bird flushing. Two nests found in the 

 middle of June contained young and were in black- 

 berry vines. 



The final paper of the evening was by Ernest 

 Adams, entitled ; 



NOTES OX THE PLAIN TITMOUSE. 



"One of the most interesting of our smaller resi- 

 dent birds is the Plain Titmouse, vieing with the 

 California Bush-Tit in its restless yet cheery, unsus- 

 pecting nature. It is well distributed over the oak- 

 abounding districts of the Pacific Coast, though ap- 

 parently in no great numbers. My first introduction 

 to this species was such as to compel me to greatly 

 admire it. After searching the tree to which my at- 

 tention had been called for some time, my curious 

 gaze rested upon a little gray bird which, with crest 

 erected and with his whole frame seemingly alert, 

 was pecking furiously at the bark of the oak, evi- 

 dently in search of food. Now and then a single 



sharp note came to my ears, and occasionally one 

 slightly prolonged and possessing a greater degree of 

 authority. At times he seemed to be angry, and 

 then his notes came faster and harsher, but when a 

 fat insect fell to his lot, he at once became pacified, 

 his notes were subdued, his crest lowered, and the 

 once miniature Jay had become peaceful Pains iii- 

 oniatiis once more. 



"The nest of this species is a hollow in an oak, 

 and sometimes in stumps of other trees, at an aver- 

 age distance of nine feet from the ground. This 

 cavity, which usually has a very small opening, is to 

 a greater or less degree filled with soft material of 

 every description. Even the Rev. Peabody's choicest 

 data blank would be of insufficient magnitude to 

 enumerate the articles therein, without placing the 

 vague 'etc' at the close. 



" Last spring I had the pleasure of observing a 

 pair of Tits, in the construction of their nest. The 

 birds were first observed approaching the tree in 

 which the nest was situated, only one, however, 

 carrying material. Lighting on a large limb they 

 went completely around it, then hopping down almost 

 to the ground and then up on the branch containing 

 the nest. Having reached a spot just above the 

 cavity, the female quickly hopped over the side and 

 into the opening, while her mate went on searching 

 for food. In succeeding trips both birds sometimes 

 carried material for the nest, each entering the cavity 



