THE BUSH-TIT. 187 



seen. Cotton sticks together, and does n't fall 

 apart like threads. The "bushies" worked long 

 and well at the cotton until they had as much 

 lining as outside to the nest. But a dreadful 

 thing happened ! Absorbent cotton takes up all 

 the water, you know, and holds it. Common 

 cotton will shed water. A storm came when the 

 eggs were ready to hatch, and drove right in at 

 the nest door. Of course it drowned all the little 

 bushies. There they lay in a puddle of water at 

 the bottom of the nest. We had not thought 

 of the rain when we put out the cotton! 



The old birds tore the nest all to pieces, and 

 built it over again in another pepper tree; but 

 they would have nothing to do with the cotton. 

 They dropped it on the grass. Nor will they 

 touch another bit of white cotton, though we 

 place it all about for the birds every spring. 

 They have learned a lesson. 



The bush-tits are very useful birds. Though 

 so small, they seem never to get enough to eat. 

 And you may see them at the scale on the orange 

 and other trees, as if it were their business to help 

 us get rid of it. If we had more bush-tits about 

 our homes, they would take all the scale that 

 annoys us so. We have seen them hunt in a 

 Japanese vine on the fence until they had taken 



