THE PERCHING BirRDs. 35 
and the kinglets are pretty sure to be found. Then 
their mingled voices will ring through the leafless 
woodland, but not loudly. 
The nests of both kinglets are huge, nearly globu- 
lar affairs, made of light, flimsy material, but well 
knit, and so a warm home for the young. This, of 
course, is needed, considering the cool, damp locali- 
ties chosen for a home during the breeding season. 
That the nests should be large, when the bird is so 
small, need not excite surprise when we know that 
many eggs are laid. In one instance eleven eggs were 
found in a nest, and if all hatched, the room the grow- 
ing kinglets would require would be considerable. 
As constituting the family Paride, tits and nut- 
hatches, we have four of the latter and a variety, 
and eleven titmice, with a few varieties. Only the 
unmistakable species above need concern us. 
The two common nuthatches are the Red- and the 
White-bellied. They are everywhere abundant in the 
Middle States from October to April, and in the sum- 
mer are found northward; but single birds—old 
bachelors, shall we call them?—do not take the 
northward journey in the spring, and are seen in 
evergreen woods practically all summer. They are, 
however, outside of Canada, essentially a winter bird, 
and more steady, earnest, and successful insect- 
hunters cannot be found. They are fearless, too, and 
often will cling to a window-sash and peck against 
the glass, seeing a spider or a fly on the inside. Nut- 
tall has recorded that nuthatches, “ when baffled by 
the slippery sleet which denies him a foothold, .. . 
is sometimes driven to the necessity of approaching 
