THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



57 



AN ODD NEST OF THE CALIFORNIA 

 BUSH TIT. 



AN ORNITHOLOGICAL 

 FOR THE MIDWINTER 



EXHIBIT 

 FAIR. 



An unsuspecting, cheery little fellow is 

 the California Bush Tit, famed chiefly 

 among ornithologists for its remarkable 

 nest, perhaps as remarkable as any in Ameri- 

 ca. It is a beautiful object this odd, pensile 

 structure, which the dainty little architect 

 has so cunningly woven together out of 

 litchen, mosses, willow cotton and various 

 delicate, silk- 

 like fibres. 



The odd nest, 

 which. the artist 

 has well shown 

 in the illustra- 

 tion, I secured 

 on June lo of 

 this year, when 

 it contained five 

 fresh eggs. As 

 a rule I have 

 found that nests of this species 

 may be seen in course of con- 

 struction in March, sets of eggs 

 being taken early in April. The 

 late nesting in this instance 

 would seem to indicate a second 

 brood. 



This nest hung from a pen- 

 dant limb of a small willow on 

 the edge of a dense willow grove, 

 about six feet from the ground, 

 in a quite exposed position. 

 The air was full of willow cot- 

 ton, blown from the trees, and 

 an unusual quantity was used in 

 the construction of this nest, 

 making it a very pretty object. 

 Hanging from the entrance hole 

 (which was not round as is 

 usually the case) was a bunch of 

 leaves and stalks from some 

 cereal. The delicate fastenings 

 of this odd nest to the little wil- 

 low twig are really very strong, 

 although seemingly so frail. 

 Alameda, Cal. H. R. Taylor. 



Here is a project which every ornitholo- 

 gist in this and neighboring States should 

 enthusiastically support. Space was un- 

 obtainable for an ornithological exhibit in 

 any of the general buildings except at great 

 cost. It was found, therefore, that it must 

 go into one of the county buildings, and 

 as the Commissioners of the beautiful Ala- 

 meda County 

 building have 

 offered liberal 

 space and ac- 

 commodations 

 free for the ex- 

 hibit, their pro- 

 position has been ac- 

 cepted. The following 

 letter will go to most of 

 the ornithologists of this 

 coast and should meet 

 with a hearty response : 

 Dear Sir — An organi- 

 zation" is now being af- 

 fected among ornitholo- 

 gists of California and 

 adjacent States for the 

 purpose of placing a 

 suitable exhibit at the 

 Midwinter Fair, and 

 your co-operation is 

 urgently desired toward 

 making it a complete 

 success. The plan is to 

 form as comprehensive 

 an exhibit as may be 

 possible of mounted 

 birds, birds' eggs, nests, 

 abnormal eggs or nests, 

 photographs, literature, 

 etc., relaiing to orni- 

 thology. If owners of 

 collections or miscellane- 

 ous objects of ornitho- 

 logical interest will each 

 loan something for the 

 display it will undoubt- 



