72 THE BIRDS OF OXFORDSHIRE. 



THE MARSH TITMOUSE. J '^ 



Parus palustris. 

 The Marsh Titmouse is a resident and tolerably abundant^ 

 by no means confined to low-lying gromid (as its name would 

 imply) but foimd equally in more elevated situations. In 

 winter this and the three preceding species join together, 

 often in considerable bands, and haunt the beech woods and 

 spruce and larch plantations. ^ 



THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 



Acredula cmtdata. 

 The Long-tailed Titmouse is a resident, and although by 

 no means numerous, is far from an uncommon bird. The 

 large oval-shaped nest of this species, so conspicuous in late 

 springs on account of the retarded foliage of the hedges, is 

 eagerly sought for by the birds^ -nesting boys, who always con- 

 sider the ' Bumbarrel ' or ' Bottle Tit^s ' nest as a great prize. 

 In winter little family parties may be seen about the tall 

 hedges, plantations, and rows of trees, carefully searching 

 every branch and twig for their insect food, and following one 

 another from bush to bush until they come to the hedge end, 

 or to a break in the trees, when they take wing one after the 

 other, each uttering its soft twittering chirp. When thus feed- 

 ing they are very tame and often come within a few feet of 

 the observer. So they continue the livelong day, and gather 

 together at evening to roost in the tall thoni hedges, where 

 the bat-fowlers find them huddled together in a ball-like cluster. 

 At that season it is possible that we may receive additions to 

 our numbers of this species, for on the loth December, 1878, 

 I counted fifty in a flock in the rookery elms at Bodicote. 



THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. .^^ 



Pamirus hiartnicus. 

 The Bearded Titmouse, or Bearded Reedling as it is more 

 appropriately called, its relationship to the Titmice being very 



