414 NESTS AND 'EGGS OP 



in March, the mating season, for nesting usually begins early in April. 

 Deserted Woodpecker excavations, natural cavities of trees, or those in 

 stubs in deep or open woods are the favorite nesting sites of the Tufted 

 Titmouse. In these cavities the nest is formed of a mass of leaves, 

 moss, corn-stalks, soft, fibrous bark-strips, and the hair of cattle ; this is 

 all carried to the nesting place in great mouths full by the female bird. 

 She has often been accused of picking to pieces and carrying away the 

 moss from hanging baskets suspended on porches. Mr. O. C. Poling 

 found a nest of this bird containing five eggs in a box near a ruined 

 building, in the vicinity of Qiiincy, Illinois. 



From five to eight eggs are deposited, five or six being the' usual 

 numbers. I have taken three sets in Central Ohio, all containing six 

 eggs. They are of a pure white or light cream ground-color,' which is 

 profusely speckled and spotted with different shades of reddish-brown. 

 Eight specimens, selected on account of their sizes, measure .67 x .52, 

 .6;5x.5i, .69X.52, .71X.51, .74X.53, .76X.54, .78x,54, .80X.S6; a com- 

 mon size is .74 X .52. 



The Tufted Titmouse will frequently nest in boxes that are put up 

 in the woods for that purpose. The birds are close sitters, and often 

 have to be lifted from the nest before the eggs can be secured. I have 

 no definite information regarding the nesting and eggs of the new 

 variety called Texan Tufted Titmouse, Parus bicolor texensis Sennett,* 

 from Southeastern Texas. There is certainly little, if any, difference 

 between them and those of the present species. 



'732. Parus atricristatus Cass [37.] 



Blaok-orested Tltmonae. 



Hab. Eastern Mexico, north into Southern Texas. 



An inhabitant of Southern Texas and southward ' into Eastern 

 Mexico. Mr. William Lloyd states that this species is a tolerably com- 

 mon resident in Concho and Tom Green counties, Texas, and from 

 thence to El Paso is the prevailing species. Nests were found in 

 old Woodpecker holes April 15, 18 and 20. On the Lower Rio Grande 

 the Black-crested Titmouse was found to be common by Dr. James C. 

 Merrill and Mr. George B. Sennett, where nests containing eggs were 

 found in April. Besides old Woodpeckers' excavations, the nesting 

 sites chosen are hollows or deep cracks in tree trunks. The nest is 

 composed of grasses, inner bark, feathers, moss and wool, and, like the 

 nest of the Blue Grosbeak, it almost invariably contains pieces of snake- 

 skin. 



The eggs are usually five or six in number, with a clear, white 



»C/. Sennett, Ault, IV, 29. 



