LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 65 
rence in any part of the kingdom. Incessantly active and fre- 
quently associating with other small birds it prosecutes a restless 
search for the small insects and seeds which form its food. Its 
nest, of moss and wool and hair, is placed ina hole in a tree, 
sometimes very near the ground; sometimes even in a hole in the 
ground which has been made by some small quadruped. Like 
the other Tits, if necessary it will enlarge a hole in a tree which 
it finds already such as nearly to suit its requirements. Six to 
eight eggs are laid, white, and spotted with faint red. 
74. MARSH TITMOUSH.—(Parus palustris). 
Coal-head, Black-cap, Willow-biter—A plentiful species im 
places; but as its name intimates, with a preference for districts 
with the peculiar low growth of bush and willow found in low 
fenny countries. It makes its nest in old willows and the low 
stunted trunks of pollard trees, and will labour hard to make a 
nearly suitable hole quite serviceable. It is said to carry the 
chips it makes quite away to some distance. The nest is better 
built than those of the ‘Tits hitherto named, of moss and wool; 
and the number of eggs varies from five or six to eight or even 
ten. They are of the usual Tom-tit type, white, spotted with red. 
75. LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE.—(Parus candatus.) 
Long-tailed Mag, Mum-ruffin, Bottle-tit, Bottle-tom, Long- 
tailed Capon, Long-tail Pie, Caper Long-tail, Oven-builder, 
Poke-pudding, Mufflin, &c., &e.—The beautiful, even wonderful 
nest of this little bird must be well-known to almost all nest- 
fanciers—oval, of great size compared with the tiny architect; 
built, too, entirely by the female, wondrously compacted with 
moss and wool, and “sparkling with lichens” affixed to the 
Sutside, it affords access by one hole only, on the upper part of 
one side, to the inside most warmly lined with feathers. So 
F 
