LONG-TAILED TIT. 215 
but not very numerously there, and in Scotland in abundance, 
except in the northern parts. It remains with us the whole 
ear. 
The habits of this little bird resemble those of the rest of 
the family, of which it is the miniature; but it is, if possible, 
still more active, from the very first peep of day till the sun 
has again gone down, being incessantly occupied in quest of 
food. The young consort with their parents during the first 
autumn and winter, and when roosting at night, huddle up 
all close together, as if one mass of feathers, probably for the 
sake of warmth. In April the different members of the family 
separate, to become in their turns the founders of other 
branches. While engaged in nidification, they attack with the 
utmost fearlessness any birds that approach their nest, even if 
three or four times larger than themselves. They do not 
‘appear to be very tameable, though they shew but com- 
paratively little fear of man in their wild state. 
In flying, as they do from tree to tree in an irregular 
string, these little birds have a singular appearance; they seem 
also so light, ahd, as it were, overburdened by the length of 
their tails, that but a moderate gust might be thought to be 
too much for them. ‘Constantly in motion,’ says Meyer, 
from tree to tree, and flying in a straight lime with much 
rapidity, they remind the spectator of the pictured representa- 
tion of a flight of arrows.’ ‘Away,’ says Mr. Knapp, ‘they 
all scuttle to be first, stop for a second, and then are away 
again, observing the same order and precipitation the whole 
day long.’ 
Their food consists entirely, or almost entirely, of insects 
and their larvee: seeds have been found in them, but so very 
few, that possibly they may, I think, have been swallowed 
accidentally with their other food. 
That which Shakspeare truly describes as so pleasing in 
a woman, a ‘small voice, goes to the heart of the naturalist 
when uttered by the tiny bird before us. It is the very 
embodiment of gentleness, weakness, and tenderness. It has, 
however, a second note—a louder twitter, and a third chirp, 
still hoarser. Macgillivray describes it by ‘twit, twit,’ and 
‘churr, churr,’ and Meyer by ‘te, te,’ and ‘tse-re-re;’ others 
by ‘zit, zit.’ In the spring it even attains to somewhat of a 
low and pleasing, though short, song. 
Nidification commences early in March. 
The nest of this little bird, the situation of which is 
