On the Breeding of the Marsh Tit (Parus palustris). 449 



covery, and was good enough to leave the matter in my 

 hands. Having allowed the birds sufficient time for the 

 completion of their task, I visited the spot on the 24th of 

 May, but was disappointed to hnd that, from some cause or 

 other, they had abandoned the nest at which they had been 

 found working on the 8th of the month. As they were not 

 likely to have removed to any great distance, I proceeded to 

 examine all the suitable stobs along the hedge, and had not 

 gone far when I had the pleasure of seeing a Marsh Tit 

 scramble out of a small hole in the side of one of these 

 stakes. I watched the bird enter and leave the nest several 

 times ; and, for the sake of complete identification, after- 

 wards caught it, setting it, however, immediately at liberty 

 again. The male bird was rather shy, but his loud tzaijy 

 tzafjy tzay, was heard continually sounding through the wood. 

 Having thus put the question of identity beyond all doubt, 

 I carried off the stake, the greater part of which you have 

 now before you. 



There are one or two points about this post or stake to which 

 you will perhaps permit me to draw attention. It has been 

 formed, you will observe, by splitting a section of a spruce 

 of about 6 inches diameter, into four. A cross section would 

 thus be broadly wedge-shaped, — in fact, the quarter of a circle, 

 — the sides containing the point of the wedge measuring about 

 3 inches, and the rounded or outside part about 4 J inches. 

 The utmost inscribed circle which such a section would con- 

 tain, would have a diameter of about 2 J inches ; and, if we 

 make allowance for the walls of the chamber, it will be seen 

 how very limited was the space in which the tiny excavators 

 had to work. The hole has been penetrated entirely by 

 their own labour. The rounded part of the stob, which 

 must of course have formed part of the exterior of the tree, 

 and has still some of the bark adhering to it, is com- 

 paratively soft and easy to penetrate. The other sides, how- 

 ever, are much firmer, but within these walls the wood is 

 quite decayed and soft. The rounded side being the softest, 

 is naturally that in which the entrance has been made. 

 Laterally, the entrance, which has unfortunately been 

 slightly damaged, is scarcely an inch wide, and the depth 



