64 Our Bird Friends. 



The Long-tailfd Tit, ur Butlle Ti[, a.^ ii i> called 

 ill recognition of the likeness ol" its nest to a hjttle, 

 is a clever little weaver. It makes its home of 

 moss, spiders' webs, and licln ns. all well interwoven 

 and felted. The interior is oiu-n a literal feather- 

 hed: it is so liberally lined that upon one occasion 

 a Scottish ]ianirali.>t eoimtfd no le.-s than two 

 llioiis.ind three hundred and s \eni\-nine se[)arate 

 feathers in a single nest. What i^ uioi\' curious 

 still is tliat wliilst the female is hr<»oding tlie male 

 comes along and keeps hej- comjiaiiy by roosting 

 alongside lier in tlie ue.st ever\- ni^lit. I lia\e fre- 

 (|uentl\' put m\- liiigei- iutn on.- and i..uiid both bird> 

 sitting in it. nur illust fat i<'n (p. li."!) \^ill naturally 

 suggest the (piestioii, • W'liat do the birds y\,s \\\\\\ 

 tlieir long tails wbiUt sitting inside their little 

 bottle-sliaped hoUs«' i* " Tlie\ dispose of llieiu in 

 tlie most ingenious fashiMH. When sitting at rest 

 tliev iold tlieir long taiU over their backs, and tbe 

 li[)s of these a^jpendages point out ot the entrance 

 hole in the same direction as tlie lips nf their bills. 



111. The diirirers of tunmds and pits are the Sand 



CO I 



Martin, i\ingKsher, rutlin. and tbe Woodpeckers, all 

 of wliich lay white eggs unspotted, with the exception 

 of tbe I'liflin. the single egg of whicb is indistinctly 

 marked witb a few spots of pale bmwn and grey. 



The tirst named bird excavates its gallery willi 

 its liill, and works in all positions, snini'tinies being 

 absolulel\- upside down. I have examined many 

 tiuniels in pioeess (_)f construction, and always joimd 



