THE LONG-TAILED TITS. 1^9 



birds covering their numerous progeny at night, with their long 

 tails, which seem such a weighty matter to carry in the daytime, 

 tucked up side by side in the nest, and resting against the back 

 of the latter. They are said to protrude sometimes from the 

 entrance hole. 



Nest. — An oval structure, large in comparison with the size 

 of the tiny architects, beautifully soft, and made principally of 

 moss, lined with feathers, and covered thickly with lichens, 

 grey moss, and spiders' webs. If placed on a moss-covered 

 bough, like that of the Chaffinch, the outside aspect of the nest 

 might prevent its detection, but the nest of the Long-tailed 

 Tit is generally easy to find, for, unlike the rest of its family, it 

 does not seek the shelter of a hole in the wall or in a tree. On 

 the contrary, the bird builds in various situations, more or less 

 in the open, and often quite early in the year, even before the 

 leaves have covered the trees. All kinds of places are selected, 

 a thorn-hedge, where its discovery would seem certain, or a furze- 

 bush or holly-tree where the nest is more concealed. Sometimes 

 the bird builds at a great height from the ground, but as a rule 

 the nest is low down, and within easy reach. As an instance 

 of the warm lining which the bird provides for its nest, Gould 

 states that he counted no less than 2000 feathers of various sorts 

 in one which he took to pieces. 



Eggs — From six to ten or eleven in number. Groundcolour 

 pearly- or pinkish-white, very finely sprinkled with light red 

 dots, and having underlying dots of purple. Sometimes the 

 eggs are spotless. Axis, o'55~o'6 inch; diam., o*45-o*5. 



II. THE WHITE-HEADED LONG-TAILED TIT. ^GITHALUS CAUDATUS. 



Pirus caudatus, Linn., Syst. Nat. i., p. 342 (1766). 

 Actedula caudata, Koch, Syst. Baier. Zool., p. 199 (18 16). 



Adult Male. — Rather larger than sE. vagans, and distinguished 

 by the pure white head without the black band on each side of 

 the crown ; the inner secondaries very broadly edged with white, 

 the innermost white, with a longitudinal black streak down the 

 shaft. Bill, feet, and iris as in s£. varans. Total length, 5*8 

 inches; culmen, 0*25 ; wing, 2-65 ; tail, 3*25; tarsus, 07. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male in colour. Total length, 

 6 inches ; wing, 2 4. 



