215 



to the nest while building; both sexes displaying much anxiety when it 

 is closely approached. 



Usually 8 to 12. Much larger clutches occasionally are found: 13, Egg.. 

 15, 16, 18, 19 and even 20 have been recorded. It must however be 

 remembered that many instances of 3 birds in attendance on one nest 

 have occurred: Bonhote found 4 birds in one nest with eggs, and 7 

 and even 9 birds are said to have been seen together. (Cf. Zool. 1849, 

 p. 2567 etc.) In these latter cases however it seems possible that what 

 were taken for old birds were in reality the young of an earlier brood. 

 The eggs vary a good deal, some being dull unspotted white, others 

 finely freckled or spotted with light chesnut, especially at the big end. 



Nest building begins in March, while the trees are still bare, and Breeding 

 exceptionally early nests have been found ready for eggs by the middle 

 of the month, but in most cases the full clutch is not laid till mid April 

 in the S. or the end of April further N. A second brood is often reared 

 later in the year, but the nests are are not so easy to see on account 

 of the foliage. Incubation begins before the clutch is completed, and 

 both sexes roost in the nest at night. 



Average of 100 British eggs (60 by the writer and 40 by Rey in Measure- 

 litt.) 14.17x11 mm.. Max. 15.1x11.8 and 15x12, Min. 13.2x10.7 "'""''• 

 and 14 X 10.1 mm. An abnormally long egg measures 17.2 X 10.5 

 (coll. A. W. Johnson). Average weight of 20 eggs, 51.5 mg. 



b. White headed Long- tailed Tit. JG. caudatas caadatas (L.). 



Plate 20, fig. 26—30 (Halle a S., Germany). 



Eggs: Thienemann, Fortpfl. Tab. XVIII, fig. II, a — d; Baedeker, 

 Tab. 43, fig. 19 [? perhaps etiropaeus]. Taczanowski, Tab. LXIV, fig. 6. 

 Dresser, pi. — , fig. 18. 



Foreign Names: Bohemia: Sykora mlynarik. ¥m\&nd : Pyrstotiiainen. 

 Germany: Weisskopfige Schivammeise. Norway: Langlielet Meise. Poland: 

 Raniuszek bialoglowi. Russia: Chivostoivka. Sweden: Sfjertmes. 

 Acr. caudata L. Dresser, Birds of Europe, III, p. 67 and. Man. Pal. 

 Birds, p. 157 (part.). JE. caudatus caudatus (L.) Hartert, Vog. Pal. 

 Fauna, p. 382. 



Breeding Range: N. and E. Europe as far W. as mid-Germany. 

 [Also Siberia to N. Japan.] 



In Norway it is rather sparsely distributed, but is most numerous con- 

 in the eastern part, and has been found as far N. as the Saltdal (lat. "cental 



^ ' ^ Europe. 



67°). On the fjeld its range extends as high as the subalpine zone. In 

 Sweden it is also rather scarce, but breeds from Skane up to about 

 lat. 62" or 63". A few pairs also breed in Finland, and in the Baltic 



