604 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



it takes several taps to induce her to fly away from the nest. 

 They generally have eggs the last week of May and the first 

 week of June, and if robbed will build again and lay, continu- 

 ing until successful in rearing a brood. Though some observers 

 have stated that a second brood was reared I am positive that 

 such is not the case near Bangor, and regard belated sets of 

 eggs found in late June or early July as due to the birds 

 having been broken up in their previous attempts at nesting. 



Subfamily PARIN^E. Titmice. 

 Genus B^^OLOPHUS Cabanis. 



731. Beeolophus hicolor (Linn.). Tufted Titmouse. 



Plumage : conspicuously crested ; forehead black ; dull gray above ; lores, 

 postocular region and under parts whitish ; sides russet brown. Wing 3.15 ; 

 tail 2.80 ; culmen 0.40. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States, west to the Plains ; breeding from the 

 Gulf States to northern New Jersey and southern Iowa ; resident throughout 

 its breeding range ; casual in southern New England ; accidental in Maine. 



County Records. — Penobscot : a specimen in worn breeding plumage in 

 the University of Maine collection is registered as among the 1890 accessions 

 and was mounted by S. L. Crosby ; while the locality given for this on the 

 register is simply Maine, the late Prof. F. L. Harvey informed me that he 

 remembered the circumstances of its capture very well, and was very sure it 

 was shot near Orono by one of the students and brought to him in the flesh. 



There is no reason to apprehend the occurrence of this 

 species in Maine save as a mere accidental straggler. Its 

 habits are as yet unknown to me and I can quote only from 

 the observations of others. Chapman states that it is a bird 

 of very general distribution in woodlands, its presence being 

 readily detected by its notes. He gives its common call as a 

 loud, clearly whistled " peto, peto, peto, peto, peto," while it 

 also utters other whistled calls and a " de-de-de-de " which is 

 louder and hoarser than the call of the Chickadee. The nests 

 are generally built in natural cavities and deserted nests of 

 Woodpeckers in dead trees and stubs, being composed of leaves, 

 bark strips and moss, warmly lined with feathers and fur. A 



