150 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



trees, is afforded by a wandering- flock of Coal-Tits, 

 As they move from tree to tree they attract other 

 species of similar habits, the Oxyes, and Blue and 

 Marsh-Tits, and Gold-Crests, and Siskins, and, per- 

 haps, a couple of Tree-Creepers. Occasionally, a 

 party of Long-tailed Tits will join and keep with 

 the flock some time, but the Long-tails are the most 

 restless and vagrant of all, and eventually hurry on 

 by themselves, leaving the more patient plodders 

 behind. It is wonderful and very beautiful to see 

 so many species thus drawn into companionship by 

 a common social instinct, and by a similar manner 

 of seeking their food." 



The specimen in the case was, I think, shot near 

 the Caterham Valley. 



The Long-Tailed Titmouse. 

 Family, Paridce. 



rhis species, to my mind, is the most comical 

 looking of all the Tits. Take the bird's tail away 

 and what remains would not equal in size the little 

 Gold-Crest. The grey of this Tit's tiny head 

 always reminded me rather of a little old man, and 

 when the birds are hanoinyf on to the branches of 

 trees tucking in most assiduously either to insects 

 on the bark or buds of the tree their appearance is, 

 to say the least of it, very droll. 



These active, busy, sociable little chaps are 

 probably more gregarious in their habit than either 

 the Blue or Great Tit ; that is to say, when the 



