28 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



perfect reproductions of the old bird. The nest was so full that the 

 parent birds fed the young from the entrance. The latter must have 

 rested one upon another, the diameter of the nest was so small. 

 Those at the top thrust up their heads on each side of the top bird, 

 but how the very bottom birds breathed was a mystery. The aper- 

 ture at the top measured but one inch by one and a half. That was 

 the only air hole. 



In the home in the gray birch stump, the young birds arranged 

 themselves around the middle bird in much the same way as the 

 eggs were arranged, six around the central one. The opening at 

 the top was three times as large as that of the poplar stump, and 

 there were many air-holes in the bark cylinder that held the nest 

 proper. 



Two days later the Chickadees of the grove were gone early in 

 the day. 



The morning that the Titmice of the pasture were twelve days 

 old, I had them photographed. My idea was to cut off the top of 

 the birch bark cup and then replace it after the photograph was 

 taken. The nestlings adapted themselves to their new quarters admir- 

 ably. They snuggled down in the somewhat limited space as much 

 at home as they had been in the more roomy abode. The old birds 

 came and fed the young while we were arranging the camera, and 

 twice while the camera was being focused, alighted on the edge of 

 the nest with food. When once the top of the nest had been re- 

 moved, it was impossible to replace it again, but after cutting the 

 bark cylinder open, we fastened it at one side so that it sheltered 

 the nest somewhat. 



In the afternoon the old birds were feeding the young just as 

 placidly as if no one had tampered with the nest, and as if there 

 were not an observer perched within a few feet of them. The fare 

 consisted of green caterpillars, an inch long, moths, spiders, an 

 insect like a flying ant, and white grubs one-fourth inch in diameter 

 and one inch long. All these were swallowed with apparent avid- 

 ity. Once the bird brought a caterpillar an inch and a half long. 



