252 



THE TITMOUSE. 



built their nest in the upper part of an old pump, fixing 

 it on the pin in which the handle worked. It happened, 

 that during the time of building and laying the eggs, the 

 pump had not been in use ; when again set going, the 

 female was sitting, and it was naturally supposed that 

 the motion of the pump-handle would drive her away. 

 The young brood, however, were hatched safely, without 



any other misfortune 

 than the loss of a part 

 of the tail of the sit- 

 ting-bird, which was 

 rubbed off by the 

 friction of the pump- 

 handle. The opening 

 for the pump-handle, 

 seems, indeed, to be 

 a favourite spot, not- 

 withstanding its dan- 

 ger, as we knew of 

 Greater Titmouse. another pair of Tit- 



mice, who, for several days, persevered in inserting, 

 close upon the point of the handle, the materials for a 

 nest, though, every time the handle was raised, they were 

 either crushed or forced out, till the patience of the per- 

 severing little builders was fairly exhausted. 



Another pair of the same species established them- 

 selves in a still more singular, though certainly less fre- 

 quented spot, neither more nor less than in the mouth 

 of the skeleton of a man who had been hung in chains 

 for murder. Another pair of a different species (Parus 

 major), had wisely fortified themselves in the centre of 

 an old Magpie's nest where, surrounded by a prickly 

 defence of thorns, &c., they had built their little warm 

 nest without fear of molestation. 



The interior of a skull, as well as the interior of a 

 Magpie's nest, were (however singular) at least better 

 suited to the sedentary life of a bird when sitting on her 

 eggs, than the noisy workshop of a brass-founder's fac- 



