220 



completely domed, and thickly woven at the bottom, with one or some- 

 times two openings.* Some observers maintain that these latter nests are 

 unfinished, and it is an undoubted fact that the cock in some cases 

 continues to work at the funnel shaped entrance after his mate has 

 begun to sit. Double nests have occasionally been met with. Giglioli 

 and von Fiihrer estimate the time employed in building at 12 to 15 days, 

 while others, probably from observations on young pairs, place the period 

 at a month at least. The nest is whitish grey in colour, sometimes tinged 

 with brown, and is about 5 to 8 in. high and 3 or 4 in. wide, with a 

 funnel It to 3? in. long. The birds continually utter an anxious note 

 as long as any one remains near the nesting place. 

 Eggs. Usually 6 or 7 in number, sometimes 8, while Goebel once found 10. 



They are pure white, without gloss and very delicate. The remarkably 

 elongated shape is very characteristic. 



Breeding In thc uothem part of its range eggs are rarely laid before June, 



but in Montenegro v. Fiihrer took 24 nests between May 15 and June 10, 

 and Giglioli states that in Tuscany the eggs are laid about mid April, 

 and the young are on the wing by mid June, while in Bulgaria both 

 fresh eggs and young birds have been found on May 20. In Asia Minor 

 however, fresh eggs may be taken in the middle of May. Incubation 

 lasts 14 days, and both birds roost in the nest. 



Measure- Avcrago of 67 cggs (51 by the Avriter and 16 by Reiser) 



'"«°*'- 15.73X10.63 mm.. Max. 18x11 and 16.2x11.3, Min. 14x10. 



(These figures agree closely with Goebel's average of 76 eggs from Kiew, 



15.75 X 10.5 mm.). Average weight of 16 eggs, 68.7 mg., varying from 



55 to 90 mg. (Reiser). 



b. Caspian Pcnduline Tit, A. pendulinns easpius (Poelzaiu). 



Egg: Dresser, pi. — , fig. 12. 

 jE. castaneus Severtz. Dresser, Birds of Europe, III, p. 165; id. Man. 

 Pal. Birds, p. 184. Anth. pendidinus easpius (Poelz.). Hartert, Vog. 

 Pal. Fauna, p. 390. 



Breeding Range: The basin of the Lower Volga. 

 Con- The nothern limit of this race appears to be the Orenburg 



government. It is exceedingly common on the lower reaches of the 

 Volga, and Bogdanow also found it plentiful in the delta of the Terek, 

 while Radde records it from Tiflis and Lenkoran in Transcaucasia, and 

 found it breeding near Erivan. 



In breeding habits it resembles the Western race. Eggs are laid 

 in mid May in Transcaucasia, and vary from 5 to 7 in number. 



* Wool is also occasionally but rarely, used. 



linental 

 Europe. 



