A Pair of Unfortunate Bird Mothers. 221 



being brought and tbe lid lifted off, just under it a tit 

 was discovered upon her nest ; not the Parus major, but 

 the ^little "nun" (P. coerulous). She was within six 

 inches of the boy's eyes who went up the ladder, and 

 had to be touched several times before she would move 

 off. This, however, she at length did, when the eggs were 

 counted — eleven. But now the behaviour of the bird 

 claimed my attention, so different from that of the con- 

 generic species. Instead of flying afar off, and altogether 

 disappearing, she remained in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood, showing excited and solicitous about her egg 

 treasures, and proclaiming it by an almost continuous 

 utterance of her cherring note. The male bird was there 

 too, having joined her on the instant ; and the pair went 

 flitting about from place to place, but still keeping near 

 the nest. As the wooden cap had been replaced, the 

 ladder removed, and every one had gone back to their 

 work, I looked to see the hen tit now return to her nest. 

 Which she did, but not till after many appfoaches and 

 returnings, in all occupying twenty minutes' time. But 

 still the other incubator had not come back to her nest 

 in the laburnum, nor could I see anything either of her 

 or her mate, though I remained watching for nearly an 

 hour ; then left the place, having been called away from 

 it. Curious to know whether she was still absent from 

 her nest, I returned to it shortly after, to find her there 

 sure enough, close squatted over the eggs. This time 

 she was left undisturbed, and I had the satisfaction of 

 having discovered a moral difference between the two 

 species, evinced by the behaviour just observed. 



Three or four days after, passing the laburnum, which 

 stands by the edge of a gravelled walk, I glanced into 

 the cavity, expecting to see the tit on her nest, this 



