Titmice. 19 



Although almost everyone who lives in the counlry, or who 

 possesses a tolerably large garden in a town, is perfectly familiar 

 with this bird, comparatively few are in a position to narrate from 

 personal observation the benefits which it confers upon us. The 

 reason is this : — they do not rise early enough. The long-tailed 

 titmouse in early morning, and the identical bird at noon, scarcely 

 seem to be the same creature, so different are its ways. It is a 

 sjiecially early bird, earlier than the sparrow, who is rather a 

 sluggard in leaving his warm nest, although he begins to set up his 

 chirp soon after daybreak. At that hour of the morning the long- 

 tailed titmouse seems to cast ofi" all fear, and allows itself to be 

 watched in its every movement without displaying much alarm, and 

 with the aid of a good opera glass it may be observed almost as 

 well as if it were in a cage. As the sun ascends above the horizon, 

 and men begin to go to their daily work, this titmouse loses his 

 easy confidence, and will not suffer himself to be approached so 

 calmly as in the early morning. Generally about five or six a.m. 

 in summer it leaves the garden, and must then be sought far from 

 human habitation. If, however, the garden should happen to be 

 surrounded with walls, and the owner should happen to understand 

 humanity as well as self-interest, the little bird will know that it 

 will not be disturbed, and will remain in its home for the greater 

 ])art of the day. The quick, lively movements of the little creature 

 are quite indescribable, so incessant and so varied are its changes 

 of attitude. As it runs along the branches, it seems almost inde- 

 pendent of gravity, and is equally at ease whether its head, back, 

 or breast be uppermost. The observer especially notices the 

 frequent pecks which it gives, every one of which denotes the 

 destruction of some insect. The little beak is by no means as 

 feeble as it seems, and is able to pick up an insect too small for 

 the human eye to see, or one which many a human being would 

 not care to handle. All the little flock, which are seen flitting 

 about from tree to tree, have at one time been inmates of the same 

 nest, the beautiful structure which everyone who lives in the country 

 cannot fail to have seen. How the young birds are accommodated 

 in so small a space seems a mystery, for not only is the hollow of 

 the nest of no great size, but the interior is so filled with feathers 

 and down that the space is still further limited. The nest of the 

 long-tailed titmouse is rather variable in shape ; generally speaking 

 it is nearly oval, and has an aperture at one side and near the top, 

 through which the birds can pass. The materials of which the nest 

 is made are mosses of various kinds, wool, hair, and similar sub- 

 'ifances,* woven together with great firmness by both birds, one 



* The exterior of the nest is often quite silvery with parmclias, cetrarias, and 

 'lier lichens. 



