THROUGH THE YEAR 113 



in autumn, and, throughout winter, innumerable 

 kinds of tiny insect grubs and chrysalids found in 

 the chinks of bark on the oak and other trees. I 

 have seen the marsh titmouse in the chestnut woods 

 of Surrey feeding on thistle seeds. In a clearing in 

 a wood under Hindhead a family of marsh titmice, 

 young and parents, came within a few yards of me 

 into some chestnut shoots, and one of them flitted to 

 the head of a spear thistle in seed. He plucked 

 a few seeds, and taking them in his claw, parrot- 

 wise, stripped the down from the seed as deftly as 

 the goldfinch though the goldfinch need not leave 

 the thistle-head, whereas the marsh titmouse works 

 more at his ease on a twig of chestnut to which he 

 carries his seed. 



The little scene of the marsh titmouse and the 

 spear thistle is soon done. Thistle seed is but a 

 change of diet, and the members of the party, calling 

 briskly to one another, are off in a few moments to 

 the higher underwood and trees, where they can 

 still find plenty of insect food it is only a great 

 sunflower in seed in autumn or a great find of beech- 

 nuts in winter that will keep the bird busy and 

 intent for hours in the same spot. 



It is easy to distinguish between the young and 

 the old marsh titmice, for about the young there is 

 something of that look of baby plumage which one 

 notices in various small birds : it is the same in the 

 young long-tailed titmice, though at the close of 

 summer these have sometimes seemed to me prettier 

 and brighter in their feathers than the old birds ; and 



