DOMED OR ROOFED NESTS 227 



of a squirrel, or even builds in some crevice amongst 

 the sticks beneath a nest of a rook. In these cases 

 it forms a perfectly globular nest, generally of green 

 moss and warmly lined with feathers. The American 

 Bush Tits (Psaltriparus) also make domed nests. That 

 of the Lead-coloured Bush Tit (P. plumbeus), first dis- 

 covered by Lieutenant Benson in Southern Arizona, 

 an account of which was recorded by Bendire in the 

 Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum (1887, pp. 

 557, 558), is described as more or less gourd-like in 

 form, and woven into and supported by small twigs 

 and branches of oak and mesquite trees. The en- 

 trance is on the side near the top. The whole nest 

 is about the size of that of our own Long-tailed Tit. 

 Externally it is made of dry curled-up leaves of the 

 white sage, vegetable down, spiders' webs, bits of moss 

 and lichens, and thickly lined with soft, small feathers. 

 Some of the Hill Tits (Liotrichidse) build cradles very 

 similar in type to those of the Goldcrests. That, for 

 instance, made by Yuhina pallida, a Chinese species, 

 is described by Mr De La Touche as a cradle of moss 

 and moss roots, with an inner cup or lining of fibres 

 and fine roots. The entrance is at either end of the 

 nest. This cradle or hammock-like nest is generally 

 suspended under a moss grown branch of a palm or 

 other tree, or even from the bamboo thatch under the 

 eaves of a shed. A nest of an Indian species, Yuhina 

 nigrimentum, is very similar, and described by Mr 

 Stuart Baker as being built between two long pendent 



