42 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Nesting of the Tufted Tit in Pennsyl- 

 vania. 



RICHARD C. HARLOW. 



The Tufted Titmouse seems to be 

 a rather generally distributed bird 

 throughout all of the Carolinan fauna, 

 growing less common in the Alleghan- 

 ian zone and only being noted as a 

 straggler in the Canadian. About Phil- 

 adelphia they may be found through- 

 out the year and are rather common, 

 though they may never be classed as 

 abundant. The course of streams 

 seems in a large measure to deter- 

 mine their distribution, as they are 

 usually to be found in the vicinity of 

 water. 



Apparently the coldest winter has 

 no effect on them, as they seem just 

 as contented among the February 

 snows as in the May sunshine. In the 

 winter they may frequently he noticed 

 in company with Nuthatches and 

 Downy Woodpeckers for whose socie- 

 ty they show a pronounced liking. 

 They are usually noted in pairs and 

 are, I believe, mated throughout the 

 year. 



The Tufted Tit is one of our few- 

 birds on whose voice the winds of 

 winter seem to have no effect. Their 

 loud, pleasing whistle may be heard 

 at all seasons, especially in the early 

 spring. It is interesting to note that 

 the female Tit can sing as well as the 

 male. 



The Tufted Titmouse has four dis- 

 tinct notes, the one usually heard he- 

 ing the whistle already referred to — 

 a loud, clear "peto, pebo, peto," the 

 notes being repeated from three to 

 seven times, usually four or five. This 

 is occasionally varied hut the inton- 

 ation is essentially the same. Another 

 note frequently heard is a "sic-a-dee," 

 something like that of the Chickadee, 

 though noticeably louder. They al- 

 so have a third, a low-mummured 

 "dee-dee-dee," which I have only heard 



at the nest or in the near vicinity of 

 the same. The last, but not least use 

 to which their vocal chords are put 

 is a distinct, snake-like hiss uttered 

 by the female when the nest is 

 threatened. 



Never shy, they admit of close ob- 

 servation and may be studied profit- 

 ably. 



As I desire here to record the find- 

 ing of several of their nests, I must 

 pass over various other of their char- 

 acteristics. The period of nesting ex- 

 tends in this locality from April to 

 June, but one brood being reared. Us- 

 ually about April 15th they may be 

 observed peeking into holes in search 

 of possible nesting sites. In this mat- 

 ter they are not easy to please, and 

 will soon weary the ornithologist who 

 attempts to trace them home. 



Despite the fact that the birds are 

 common, they are adepts at hiding 

 their homes, and during the period 

 from 1902 until the present season, 

 I have found but three nests. 



No. 1 was discovered early in June, 

 1903, at Oak Lane, Phila. Co., Pa., 

 and was built seven feet above the 

 ground behind the loosened bark of 

 a large dead Oak tree, the bird enter- 

 ing throug'h a crack in the bark. This 

 was well within woodland and on a 

 hill about 75 yards from a stream. 

 The nest was well defined, being 

 made of fine bark strips, small pieces 

 of rags and lined entirely with fur 

 that had evidently once adorned some 

 rug. It held at this date seven full 

 fledged young, which scrambled out 

 when an inquisitive finger was insert- 

 ed. Both birds came close by and 

 were very solicituous. 



No. 2. Three years elapsed from 

 the finding of the above recorded nest 

 till another was discovered, often 

 though I observed the birds. On the 

 twenty-fourth of May, 1906, I was 

 passing through a piece of woodland 

 some two hundred yards distant from 



