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135 
Museum. The perfection of such an Institution would be its 
completeness ; and we will assume that the best specimens should 
be drafted into it periodically from all the different districts—here, 
for instance, from Wigton, Brampton, and Keswick—and that 
representatives from district committees should meet yearly in 
general committee. A pleasant intercourse would thus spring up 
amongst men of congenial tastes, and the specimens of Natural 
History of the whole county would be carefully and systematically 
arranged. No locality is so small but that it has some bird, I 
believe, almost peculiar to itself; I may be wrong, and if so, I will 
most gladly be set right. But, for instance, as long as I remember, 
year after year, we have had at Woodside a pair of Redstarts— 
and beautiful birds they are: haughty and intolerant of all company 
but that of man, and with him familiar and confidential. Now 
certainly in that part of the West of Cumberland where I lived 
for some years, the Redstart was unknown. 
In arranging the cases of specimens I should suggest, in 
addition to the careful naming and dating, that each case was made 
large enough at first to accommodate at least two specimens, cock 
and hen, of every variety in the whole family. For instance, take 
the Tits—we have the lovely little blue bird,! a bold and venture- 
‘some fellow, ready to fight upon the slightest provocation—or 
without any at all for that matter—utterly regardless of disparity 
of weight or size, and particularly distinguished by his sleepless 
dislike to the Owl. The Ox-eye? with his bright black hood 
_ shining like satin. The Long-tailed Tit,? with its beautiful pendu- 
_ lous nest in summer ; a great favourite too, as we see him and his 
faithful partner together, even in winter, flitting about amongst the 
birch trees, brisk and cheerful even in the keenest weather. And 
the Marsh Titmouse,* with whom I am not so intimately acquainted; 
_ he is apt, without special knowledge, to be confused, I fancy, with 
his black-capped brother, or Ox-eye, though quite distinct when 
the two can be seen together. Of the Bearded Titmouse,® or-—as 
he is sometimes miscalled—the Least Butcher Bird,® I think we 
1 Parus ceruleus. 2 Parus major. 
8 Parus caudatus. * Parus palustris, 5 Calamophilus biarmicus. 
® Not Lanius minor, of course, —(ED. ) 
