THE CRESTED TITMOUSE 269 



more a cold January afternoon than a day in the " merry 

 month." 



In the big pine forest there was shelter from the wind 

 and the air was almost mild. Deer crossed the road before 

 us — to be rapidly lost to view among the trees — and Grey 

 Hens rose noiselessly from the heather. For some 

 distance we walked through the pines, and then the 

 stalker, who was leading, pointed out to us a little clump 

 of trees rather younger than the surrounding woodland, 

 where the Crested Titmouse had her nest. The nesting 

 site, we found, was at the stump of a tree long since dead, 

 and the nest was placed in a hollow not more than three 

 feet from the ground. The eggs were three in number, 

 and the nest was skilfully made of moss, rabbit down, and 

 deer's hair. It was interesting, too, to note that the moss 

 was of a different species to that which grew on the ground 

 beneath the tree. The bird, unfortunately, had deserted, 

 so a search was commenced for a second nest. This was 

 discovered before long in a dead pine standing more or 

 less by itself amongst long heather, and the nest was 

 placed almost at ground level in a hollow in the trunk. 

 The mother Titmouse sat very closely and allowed her- 

 self to be inspected as she brooded on her eggs. It was 

 indeed with some difficulty that she could be induced to 

 leave the nest, and, when she did so, she flew only a few 

 yards into some small trees and flitted restlessly from 

 branch to branch, though, curiously enough, she uttered 

 no alarm cry. 



A third nest, discovered a little later on, was in a 

 hollow about a foot from the ground, and so dark was the 

 hole that matches had to be lit in order to discover the 

 contents of the nest. 



It was with some interest that we found that, in this 

 instance, the mother bird had already hatched her eggs, 

 the nest containing a number of very young babies who 



