PARID&. 131 
The food of this bird appears to be almost entirely 
insectivorous. Yarrell says it appears to be more 
select in its choice of food than the other Tits, con- 
fining itself almost entirely to insects and their 
larve. 
The Longtailed Tit has the beak black; irides 
hazel; forehead, top of the head, cheeks and ear- 
coverts dull white, spotted on the top of the head 
with black; there is a streak of black over the eye 
extending to the nape; back and tail-coverts black ; 
scapulars pink; wing-coverts black; primary and 
secondary quills dusky; tertials lghtish brown, 
edged with white; tail-feathers very long, the centre 
ones the longest and black; the exterior feathers on 
each side become shorter by degrees, the exterior of 
all being the shortest and white, as are the next 
three feathers on the outer and part of the inner 
web; throat, breast and belly dull white; flanks the 
same, tinged with pink; legs, toes and claws dark 
brown, almost black. The young birds have the 
irides lighter than the old; the top of the head 
white; ear-coverts dull black; cheeks and sides of 
the neck and all the upper parts dusky brown; the 
tertials dusky brown, margined (but not tipped) with 
white; and the tail-feathers, when growing, of vari- 
able comparative lengths; the throat, breast and 
belly white; under tail-coverts just tinged with 
pink. 
The egg of the Longtailed Tit is the smallest of 
