THE PERCHING BIRDS. 35 



and the kinglets are pretty sure to be found. Then 

 their mingled voices will ring through the leafless 

 woodland, but not loudly. 



The nests of both kinglets are huge, nearly globu- 

 lar affairs, made of light, flimsy material, but well 

 knit, and so a warm home for the young. This, of 

 course, is needed, considering the cool, damp locali- 

 ties chosen for a home during the breeding season. 

 That the nests should be large, when the bird is so 

 small, need not excite surprise when we know that 

 many eggs are laid. In one instance eleven eggs were 

 found in a nest, and if all hatched, the room the grow- 

 ing kinglets would require would be considerable. 



As constituting the family Paridcs, tits and nut- 

 hatches, we have four of the latter and a variety, 

 and eleven titmice, with a few varieties. Only the 

 unmistakable species above need concern us. 



The two common nuthatches are the Red- and the 

 White-bellied. They are everywhere abundant in the 

 Middle States from October to April, and in the sum- 

 mer are found northward; but single birds old 

 bachelors, shall we call them? do not take the 

 northward journey in the spring, and are seen in 

 evergreen woods practically all summer. They are, 

 however, outside of Canada, essentially a winter bird, 

 and more steady, earnest, and successful insect- 

 hunters cannot be found. They are fearless, too, and 

 often will cling to a window-sash and peck against 

 the glass, seeing a spider or a fly on the inside. Nut- 

 tall has recorded that nuthatches, " when baffled by 

 the slippery sleet which denies him a foothold, . . . 

 is sometimes driven to the necessity of approaching 



