December 



tits resembling the delicate rose of the under parts, 

 or the inordinate length of tail, which constitutes 

 three-fifths of the total length of the bird itself. 

 Black, white, and pink are the colours of the long- 

 tailed tit, and they make it as striking as a chaffinch 

 when seen on the wing ; but when it dangles from a 

 bough, applying its short bill closely to detach its 

 minute insect food, the delicate flush of pink below 

 has a wonderfully softening effect. 



The long-tailed tits had scarcely established them- 

 selves when a "zee-zee-ing" seemed to announce 

 the coming of a second contingent. But the long- 

 tails and gold-crests are travelling companions, and 

 as a small company of the latter arrived, one might 

 note the shriller, less vibrant " zee " which the gold- 

 crest emits either when perching or flying. The 

 golden-crested wren is the smallest of European 

 birds, but makes the most of its little person by 

 puffing its feathers, and holding its wings, so to say, 

 akimbo. It forms one of that indefatigable band of 

 winter wanderers which includes the great, the blue, 

 the coal, the marsh, and the long-tailed tits, the 

 tree-creeper and nuthatch. Although as capable of 

 acrobatic feats as any of this agile company, the 

 gold-crest in its habits more nearly resembles the 

 long-tailed tit and the tree-creeper. Like both of 

 these, and the little common brown wren which it 

 further resembles in its habit of creeping through 

 low shrubbery, it limits its fare to the minute insects 

 and larvae which it finds tucked away in the chinks 



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