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Mar., 1916 6.5 A CIIAPTER IN TIIE LIFE HISTORY OF TIIE WREN-TIT By WALTER C. NEWBERRY WITH TWO PHOTOS BY TRACY I. STOIlER URING the nesting season of 1915 it was the writer's pleasant privilege to closely observe a pair of Intermediate Wren-tits (Chamaea fasciata fasc?ata). Many things were noted of much interest, supposedly because the bird was an entirely new species in my own experience. But when it came to an attempt to find out what other observers might have learned about this unique bird, so as to make comparisons with the results of my own observa- tions, I was surprised to find that practically nothing had been published in re- gard to the nesting behavior of any of the subspecies of the wren-tit. The index to bird literature maintained at the California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, showed only bare records of occurrence in many localities, and a few nesting dates and brief descriptions of nests and eggs. The following ? ? notes are, therefore, offered to ? CotaooR readers in the belief ? ? ? that they will add something to ? ? our knowledge of the life his- tory of the wren-tit. ? A piece of vacant property - in North Cragmont, Berkeley, ? with an area of about 100 by 150 feet, was the chosen forag- ? C ing ground of this pair of wren-tits and they were never  :? observed to wander farther afield. Along one edge of the * lot was a small creek with ? thick clumps of willow on ? ? either bank. The rest of the lot occupied higher ground Fig. 27. N!?sw OF THE WREn-TIT IN rxccnt, ras and was scatteringly cover- ?vsn ed with thick clumps of poison oak (Rhus diversiloba), chaparral brush (Baccharis pilularis), and blue witch (Solanum umbelliferum). The open spaces were grown up with weeds such as cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), horehound (Marrubium wdgare), teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), and long grass. The only tree on the higher portion of the lot was an elderberry (Sambucus glauca) about twenty feet high. The partially built nest was discovered on March 23, and only cautious approaches were made while construction was going on for fear of disturbing the birds and causing them to abandon operations. But few facts were noted dur- ing this time. Apparently both birds were engaged in building the nest, this conclusion being drawn from the facts that the two were in sight the greater part of th,: rime and thai at no time while the birds were under observation through- out the entire nesting period could the. sexes be distinguished. Another thing noted was that the birds always approached the nest over the same route and each time with much caution, this being the case as 1oug as the nest was occupied.