156 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



were strewed about under the neighbouring trees. I was quite at a loss to account 

 for this, until one morning I observed a Marsh Titmouse flying across the grass- 

 plot with a white ball, almost as big as his head, on the point of his bill. He 

 looked so oddly at the moment I could scarcely at first sight determine either the 

 bird or its burthen, but as soon as he alighted on an opposite tree he gave a little 

 wrench with his beak, and dropping the husk at the time, flew off direct to the 

 snowberry bush. The whole thing was now explained, and as I watched, another 

 Titmouse joined the first, and these continued as long as I had time to wait, 

 carrying off the berries on the ends of their bills to the same tree opposite, where 

 they opened and dropped the husks, then back again for more. On picking up 

 these husks afterwards, I found each of them split open down the side, and minus 

 the two little kidney-shaped seeds that grow in either half of the white fruit." 



The Marsh-Tit usually nests in holes in trees and near to the ground, after 

 the manner of the Coal-Tit, and, like some of our other species, it has been known 

 to make a hole for itself in a decayed tree ; it has also been known to build like 

 a Tree-Creeper behind loosened bark, and nests have been found in mouse or rat- 

 burrows in banks. 



Lord Lilford observes that " Both nest and eggs may easily be mistaken for 

 those of the more common Coal-Tit, but the present species sometimes makes use 

 of willow-down as a lining, and, so far as I know, never employs feathers for that 

 purpose. The eggs are from five to seven or eight in number." 



Seebohm says : " Occasionally it breeds in a pollard willow, and has even 

 been known to build in a rabbit-burrow or an old rat's hole. The inside of the 

 hole, if too deep, is filled up with bits of wood or small twigs, and upon this 

 foundation a moderately neat nest is composed of moss, wool, hair, and any other 

 soft material that may be within reach. Fresh eggs may be found in May ; and 

 it is said that a second brood is often reared. The number varies from five to 

 eight, and some writers say even twelve ; but no such case has ever come under 

 my notice. They are white with a scarcely perceptible yellowish tinge in ground- 

 colour, spotted and speckled with light red. The markings are usually most 

 numerous on the large end of the egg." 



I have not personally taken this nest ; but, if it were more abundant, I should 

 expect to find that the number of eggs in a full clutch would vary from eight to 

 ten, the former being the usual number. 



About August, 1890, a bird-catcher brought me a pair of Marsh-Tits which he 

 had caught at Beckenham in his nets. I turned these birds out with a number 

 of Finches which occupied one of my aviaries ; and, after a day or two, they were 

 quite at home. Unfortunately that particular aviary was then arranged for pictur- 



