PARID^ — THE TITMICE. 123 



concert with great earnestness for several days, until the hole, which is round, 

 and not larger at tiie entrance tlian the body of the bird, is dug ten or twelve 

 inches deep, widening at the bottom. The eggs, according to Mr. Audubon, 

 are laid on the bare wood. This, however, is probably not their constant 

 liabit. The eggs, hvm four to six in number, and not much larger than those 

 ot the Hunnuiiig-15ird, have a white ground, tliickly sprinkled with tine red- 

 disli-brown dots. They are said to raise two, and even three, broods in a 

 season. Accorchng to tlie observations of the late Dr. Gerhardt of Northern 

 Georgia, tlie Ihowu-headed Nuthatch breeds in that part of the country about 

 the 19th of April. 



The eggs of this Xuthatcli are of a rounded oval shape, measuring .60 by 

 .50 ot an inch. Their white ground-cok)r is so completely overlaid by a pro- 

 lusion ot tine dottings of a dark purplish-brown as to be entirely concealed, 

 and the egg appears almost as if a uniform chocolate or brown color. 



