TITMOUSE. 257 



This species chiefly frequents woods, but is often seen in orchards 

 and gardens in winter, biting off the buds of the trees. The nest 

 is most elegant and curious, oval in shape, sometimes as large as a 

 quart bottle, having a small hole on the side for entrance ;* made of 

 moss, liverwort, and wool, nicely interwoven, and completely lined 

 with the softest feathers ; it is not suspended, but firmly attached to 

 the fork of a branch, three or four feet from the ground ; the eggs 

 usually ten or twelve, white, sparingly marked with reddish spots, 

 mostly at the larger end; and smaller than any, except those of the 

 Gold-crested Wren, each weighing 12 grains. It feeds mostly on 

 insects; is an active, restless species, continually flying backward and 

 forward, and running on the branches with great facility : the whole 

 family keep together till spring invites them to pair, and in flying after 

 one another utter a kind of twitter, having very little or no song. 



It is said to inhabit Sweden ; is common, even in winter, all over 

 Russia and Siberia, and extends as far south as Italy ; but is not 

 certain, that it has been ever found either on the Continent of Ame- 

 rica, or its adjacent Islands, f Among the common people, this bird 

 is known by a great variety of names, viz : — Huckmuck, Long-tail 

 Mag, Long-tail Capon, Long-tail Pie, Miimruffin, Bottle Tom, and 

 Bottle Tit. 



13— BEARDED TITMOUSE. 



Parus biarmicus, Ind. Orn. ii. 570. Lin. i. 342. Gm. Lin. i. 1011. Frisch, t. 8. 



Sepp, Vog. t. p. 83. Borowsk. iii. 183. Spaloicsch. i. t. 40. 

 Parus barbatus, Scop. i. No. 241. Bris. iv. 567. Id. 8vo. i. 468. Klein, p. 86. 8. 



Tern. Man. d'Orn. 174. Id. Ed. ii. p. 299. 

 Lanius biarmicus, Faun. suec. No. 84. Brun. p. 8. 



* Frisch says, there are sometimes two entrances, the one opposite to the other, so that 

 the bird may not ruffle the feathers in turning round. 



+ A specimen was once shewn us with other birds, as a native of Jamaica, but we have 

 been since informed, that its being among them was purely accidental. 



TOL. VII. L L 



