392 INSECTIVOR.E. 



twelve, and seldom fewer than eight ; they are white, mottled 

 with rust colour, especially towards the thicker ends, and 

 bear much resemblance to those of the nuthatch, only they 

 are more numerous, and the ground colour has a slight yel- 

 lowish tinge. There are often two broods in the year, so that 

 the birds have a laborious summer. The young come out of 

 the egg in a much less advanced state than many other birds. 

 They are blind, and remain so for a few days ; but as they 

 eat heartily, and both parents are equally industrious in 

 feeding them, they grow fast, and in the course of two or three 

 weeks they are able to fly. The brood are of a social dispo- 

 sition, and continue hopping about in the trees adjoining the 

 nest till the moult, which takes place in about six weeks. 

 When spring comes, the family society breaks up by the 

 pairing of the young : the pairs are very attached and atten- 

 tive to each other. It is supposed that the attachment is 

 for life ; and that if they are not disturbed, they use the 

 same nest for many successive broods. Both Mrds assist in 

 the building of the nest, and also in the incubation. The 

 two hatches, and the number and voracity of the young in 

 each, keep the birds fully employed during summer, so that 

 they have less time for sport than many of their fellow- 

 tenants of the trees. As, during that period, they are wholly 

 insectivorous, the number of insects and lar\0e of which they 

 clear the trees is very considerable ; and luring the time 

 that the young birds are in rapid growth, the activity and 

 industry of the old ones are worthy of admiration. They are 

 in continual motion, now running along the branches, again 

 leaping from twig to twig so swiftly that tieir motions can 

 hardly be discovered, and ever and anon datting out a little 

 to catch any winged insect that may happe(i to come within 

 the range of their very acute vision. ID extracting their 

 smaller prey from the chinks of the bark, the great tits, in 

 all probability, use the tongue as a prehensie instrument, for 



