LONG-TAILED TITS. 489 
wood. Unlike the birds forming the genus Parus, the Long-tailed Tit 
builds a nest in the branches of trees and shrubs—a nest of matchless 
beauty, which costs the little owners at least a fortnight’s incessant 
labour to complete. In the slender twigs near the lichen-covered branch 
of a hoary oak tree, in the branches of the hazel or the whitethorn in the 
hedgerows, or amongst the prickly branches of the furze, where the fresh 
green foliage and bright-yellow blooms form a contrast of the greatest 
beauty—ain all these situations the Long-tailed Tit’s nest may be frequently 
found. But it is perhaps seen in the branches of the holly or the white- 
thorn more frequently than in any other situation. It is built at various 
heights from the ground, sometimes only a few feet, at others, as mentioned 
by Mr. Wharton, at an elevation of fifty feet. Apropos of this matter 
several interesting communications may be found in the ‘ Zoologist? for 
1882, pp. 187, 233, 234, made by the above-named naturalist and several 
others. Mr. J. Cordeaux also gives an instance in the ‘ Zoologist,’ 1873 
(p. 3558), of a nest of this bird placed at the very summit of a spruce-fir 
fourteen feet from the ground. The nest is oval in shape; and a small 
hole in the side near the top admits the parent birds. The materials that 
compose it are very similar to those used by the Chaffinch—the greenest 
moss, lichens, and cobwebs all felted artfully together, and lined with an im- 
mense number of feathers and hairs. The nest of this bird is undoubtedly 
the finest piece of bird-architecture found in our islands. The eggs of the 
Long-tailed Tit vary considerably in number. Some nests only contain 
six eggs, whilst others may be found with eleven, and in rare instances as 
many as sixteen or twenty have been known. It is the opinion of some 
observers that where so many eggs are founu in the nest they are the 
production of more than one female. We have, however, no direct 
evidence that such is the case. ‘The eggs are pure white or pearly grey 
in ground-colour, with a few small spots of light-red, and fainter marks of 
purple, although many specimens are spotless or appear to have the scanty 
colouring-matter delicately suffused over the entire surface ; sometimes they 
are without any trace of markings. They measure from °63 to ‘52 inch in 
length and from ‘48 to -4 inch in breadth. The eggs of this bird are less 
spotted than those of any other Tit. 
Several naturalists, amongst whom may be included Selby, have asserted 
that the nest of this bird contains two holes; but if such be the case, it 
is a most exceptional occurrence. The bird when sitting places its long 
tail over its back; in fact it would be difficult for it to sit in any other 
manner. When we bear in mind how numerous their family, it is indeed 
wonderful how the little creatures rear them. That they safely do so is 
proved by the fact that in afew short weeks they may all be seen in 
the company of their parents, with whom they keep in a family party through 
the coming autumn and winter, 
