LARKS, TITMICE, HONEY-EATERS, THEIR KINDRED 529 



fhott by J. T. iiiwman 



The TITMICE occur in one form or another 

 all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in the 

 New World as far south as Southern Mexico. 

 The family may be divided intoTRUE.CRESTED, 

 LONG-TAILED, and PENDULINETITS and REED- 

 LINGS, all but the penduline tits being repre- 

 sented in England. 



Of the true tits, the best known is the 

 BLUE TIT, which is no stranger even in London 

 parks. Traveling in small bands throughout 

 the autumn and winter, they may frequently 

 be met with during a country walk, their 

 presence being made known by a pretty tink- 

 ling little note. This method of traveling 

 is obviously advantageous, for the discovery 

 of food at this time is an arduous task, and, 

 if undertaken individually, many would surely 

 starve, as Professor Newton points out : " A 

 single titmouse searching alone might hunt 

 for a whole day without meeting with a 

 sufficiency, whilst, if a dozen are united by 

 the same motive, it is hardly possible for 

 the place in which the food is lodged to 

 escape their detection, and, when discovered, 

 a few call-notes from the lucky finder are 

 enough to assemble the whole company to 

 share the feast. . . . One tree after another 

 is visited by the active little rovers, and its 

 branches examined : if nothing be forthcoming, 



away goes the explorer to the next that presents itself, merely giving utterance to the usual 

 twitter that serves to keep the w r hole body together. But if the object of search be found, 

 another chirp is emitted, and the next moment several members of the band are flitting in 

 succession to the tree, and eagerly engaged with the spoil." 



These little birds display great affection for their old nesting-places. An instance is on 

 record where, so far back as 1785, a pair built their nest in a large earthenware bottle placed 

 in the branches of a tree in a garden at Oxbridge, near Stockton-on-Tees. With two exceptions 

 only, this bottle was tenanted by a pair of these birds every year till 1873. In 1892 Professor 

 Newton, who had this account from Canon Tristram, was informed that the occupancy had 

 ceased for four years. 



The LONG-TAILED or BOTTLE-TIT is a British species, deriving its name from the long tail. 

 It is a pretty little bird, black and rose-colour above, with a rose-coloured abdomen, and the 

 head, throat, and breast white. It enjoys the distinction of being one of the smallest British 

 birds, and is found in woods and plantations all over England, though less common in 

 Scotland. These tits have a curious habit of roosting during the winter, six or seven huddling 

 together in a row, with three or four others perched on their backs, and two or three on 

 the top. 



The nest, which is placed in a tree or bush, is a model of industry. Oval in shape, 

 and roofed, with a small aperture near the top, it is composed of moss, lichen, and hair, 

 closely felted and lined with an enormous collection of feathers, Macgillivray having counted 

 2,779 in a single nest. 



Other species of titmice occurring in Britain are the GREAT, MARSH-, COAL-, and 

 CRESTED TITS. 



67 



NUTHATCH 



