THE TITMOUSE FAMILY 175 



nest choice material, such as small blades of grass, flexible 

 roots, soft silky moss, bits of wool, feathers and vege- 

 table down, and they use their bill in a most skilful man- 

 ner for interweaving, rounding off, smoothing and shaping 

 these materials so various in texture and in form. 



Titmice are all very prolific. Most of the females lay 

 as many as fifteen or even eighteen eggs. Their family 

 instinct is also very much developed. Both males and fe- 

 males display untiring zeal in feeding their large progeniture 

 and unequalled energy in defending it against the attacks 

 of owls and other rapacious birds. In the main, the dispo- 

 sition of titmice is naturally violent, daring and warlike. 



It is doubtless due to their intrepidity and quarrel- 

 some temper developed by the obligation of being ever on 

 the defensive, that titmice have sometimes been accused 

 of slyness, cunning and ferocity. But on the contrary 

 it seems to me that we ought to admire the courage with 

 which these birdlings fight the hard struggle for existence. 

 Their fondness for live flesh has often been cast at them 

 as a reproach, live flesh which they tear with their nails 

 just like the shrike and the raven; but one is apt to forget 

 that their small body is only a bundle of muscles and 

 nerves and needs very substantial food to resist the wear 

 and tear of life. Their constitution demands the assimila- 

 tion of a great quantity of animal food. M'hy do we not 

 cast the same reproach at the nightingale which also lives 

 on bleeding flesh? 



