BIRDS OF THE GARDEN 21 



t, Four to six. Pale blue or greenish blue, 

 spotted and blotched with olive-brown and greyish 

 purple. Like the Crow's, but slightly smaller. 



LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE (Acredula caudata). 



Rather local, but nevertheless tolerably common and 

 generally distributed. 



Haunts. Plantations, orchards, shrubberies, &c. 



Observation. The predominating hue, when seen at a 

 little distance, is grey. Note. Long tail, with con- 

 spicuous white edges. 



Plumage. Head, neck, throat, and breast white. 

 Back, wings, and portion of tail black. Black stripe over 

 eye ; under parts white, suffused with rose. Beak 

 black, and very short. Black tail very long, with con- 

 spicuous white edges. Legs black. Length 5^ in. 

 Female similar. Young duller, and no rose tint on breast. 



Language. Song, a constant repetition of the call-note, 

 " tse-tse," or " zit-zit." 



Habits. Very sociable, and usually seen in foraging 

 parties. Like all Tits, exceedingly restless, and it per- 

 forms graceful and engaging acrobatic feats among the 

 branches of a tree when hunting for insects. Flight 

 undulating in fact, it looks like a feathery arrow skim- 

 ming wavily in the air. Insects captured on the wing. 

 Occasionally food is taken on the ground, but the tree 

 branch is the rule. 



Food. Insects and their larvae. 



Nest. March onwards. Two broods. 



Site. In middle of hawthorn hedge, or evergreen ; in 

 furze-bush, against trunk of tree, supported by a lateral 

 branch. 



Materials. Moss, lichens, wool, hair, cobwebs, care- 

 fully felted together, lined with a profusion of small soft 

 feathers. Nest domed (hence Bottle Tit). 



Eggs. Six to ten, sometimes more. White, sparingly 

 speckled with lightly rusty red. 



