THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 165 



and precipitation the whole day long. The space 

 travelled by these diminutive creatures in the course 

 of their progresses from the first move till the 

 evening roost must be considerable ; yet, by their 

 constant alacrity and animation, they appear fully 

 equal to their daily task. We have no bird more 

 remarkable for its family association than this parus. 

 It is never seen alone, the young ones continuing 

 to accompany each other from the period of their 

 hatching until their pairing in spring. Its food is 

 entirely insects, which it seeks among mosses and 

 lichens, the very smallest being captured by the 

 diminutive bill of this creature. Its nest is as 

 singular in construction as the bird itself. Even, 

 in years long passed away, when, a nesting boy, I 

 strung my plunder on the benty grass, it was my 

 admiration ; and I never see it now without secretly 

 lauding the industry of these tiny architects. It is 

 shaped like a bag, and externally fabricated of 

 moss and different herbaceous lichens, collected 

 chiefly from the sloe (lichen prunastri), and the 

 maple (lichen farinaceus) ; but the inside contains 

 such a profusion of feathers, that it seems rather 

 filled than lined with them a perfect featherbed ! 

 I remember finding fourteen or sixteen pea-like 

 eggs within this downy covert, and many more 

 were reported to have been found. The excessive 

 labour of the parent birds in the construction and 

 collection of this mass of materials is exceeded 

 by none that I know of ; and the exertions of two 

 little creatures in providing for, and feeding, with 



