J. E. LITTLEBOY — THE BIRDS OF OUE DISTRICT. 23 



charming little creatures, and few sights are prettier than to watch 

 them actively at work, fluttering about and searching for their food. 

 Their nests are beautifully built, of globular shape, with a small 

 opening at the top. AVe have generally several in the garden at 

 Hunton Bridge, and on one occasion we were delighted to espy six 

 or eight tiny little birdies, but just fledged, all huddled together on 

 the branch of a spruce fir. We watched them with the greatest inter- . 

 est, and presently discovered that the two parent birds were con- 

 stantly flying to and fro laden with insect food for their little 

 nestlings. At King's Langley a pair of gold-crests have this year 

 built in a tree close to the back door of a gentleman's residence. 

 The willow-wren or hay-bird is also a constant summer visitor to 

 our garden. It builds a domed nest, and is a remarkably hard 

 sitter. I have seen it stated that even the nest itself may be re- 

 moved without disturbing the bii'd. 



I will complete the Warblers by biiefly noticing the nightingale. 

 Its superlative powers have been described so frequently that I shall 

 not attempt a repetition. I presume there is hardly a single person 

 in this room who has not again and again listened with delight to 

 its glorious notes. The nightingale generally reaches this district 

 between the 10th and the 21st of April. Its song appears to in- 

 crease both in volume and power until the middle of May, but as 

 soon as the young are hatched it either ceases altogether or subsides 

 into a guttural croak. It is quite a mistake to suppose that the 

 nightingale is shy ; while in the act of singing he appears to be 

 perfectly absorbed in his wondrous efforts and quite indifferent to 

 the approach of listeners. A few years ago a member of my family 

 succeeded in inducing three of them to come for food whenever 

 they were called, and before we lost them in the autumn they would 

 fearlessly approach almost close to her feet. 



Next upon my Kst are the Tits. They are a very amusing family, 

 and possess striking characteristics.- We can claim five among their 

 number as pretty constant visitors : — The great tit, the coal tit, the 

 blue tit, the marsh tit, and the long-tailed tit. The first four have 

 many qualities in common ; they are extremely grotesque in their 

 movements and will repay careful observation. It has been our 

 practice at Hunton Bridge to attach a bone or walnut to a string, 

 and to tie it to a tree observable from the parlour-window ; no 

 sooner is the treasure discovered by a tit than he will fly to it and 

 attack it in the most vigorous manner ; occasionally he will slide 

 down the string after the fashion of a monkey, and knowingly 

 examine whatever may be attached to it, but more frequently he 

 will hang with his claws to some portion of the bone and swing 

 away, topsy-turvy, as comfortably and unconcernedly as though 

 perched upon a twig. Some years ago a tit built its nest in a hole 

 in the wall close to our house : we discovered its whereabouts by 

 healing a hissing sound whenever we passed the spot. With some 

 hesitation, we attempted to insert a finger, but it was assailed so 

 lustily that we were compelled to withdraw it. By-and-by we 

 noticed that the bird had left her nest, and we again returned to the 



