224 Reminiscences. 



I iniai^'ined tliey would lake to a lon;^' hollcnved-ont log', but the 

 avicultnrist who breeds Lons^-tailed Tits certainly deserves a 

 silver medal. As an aviary bird they are absolutely deli.g'htful, 

 but very difficult to keep in a large aviary. In a small aviary 

 I never found any difficulty. 1 have an idea they easily get 

 lost and cannot find the necessary food, of which mealworms 

 seem an absolute necessity. The fact that so many arc 

 reared at a time seems to indicate a very high mortality in a 

 state of nature. They must be hardy, as one can see them in 

 parties in the depth of winter. They are fairly conmion. too. 

 in Salonica. They quickly become absurdly tame. But of all 

 the birds I have ever kept Golden Crested Wrens become the 

 tamest. They, too, need mealworms finely chopped up. and one 

 has to be very careful or you will chop off their wee beaks or 

 their filamentous toes in the process. Great care, too, is neces- 

 sary in leaving the aviary, or you may find one or more perching 

 on your shoulder when you go out. That once did happen, 

 and next morning in the service passage I found a little fluffy 

 corpse, for these birds die very quickly and require feeding at 

 the very least twice a day. A couple of hours late in their 

 niorning meal will mean death to them when they can get no 

 natural food. I think perhaps the ( iolden-crest is the most 

 exquisite little bird in the world — possibly not in coloiu" as in 

 its wee-ness, its confiding nature and its general behaviour. 

 Their little lives hang on a thread as slender as the web of a 

 spider. But if you keep them and then contemplate going 

 away, never leave them to a servant, however conscientious — 

 far better let them go, for you will never see them alive again. 

 A good deal of discussion has arisen as to the crest being 

 erectile. That is strange, for the little cocks do it all day long- 

 in the breeding season. The sexes are easily distinguished, 

 for the cock has an almost fiery-red crest, whereas the hen only 

 possesses a yellow patch on the head. I have never seen a hen 

 raise her crest. If you are prepared to take the trouble, these 

 birds are not difficult to keep. I believe Mr. Galloway used to 

 l)reed flies for his all the year round, for these wee mites are 

 verv fond of tlie conuuon house fly, and as to spiders — thev 

 j)ositively dote on them. 



