LO]!v'G-TAILED TIT. 215 



but not very numerously there, and in Scotland in abundance, 

 except in the northern parts. It remains with us the whole 

 year. 



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 dm^ing 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 difierent 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 fl}^ng in a straight line with nmch 

 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 larvse: 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 ^o 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 



