PARID^!. 131 



The food of this bird appears to be almost entirely 

 insectivorous. Yarrell says it appears to be more 

 select in its choice of food than the other Tits, con- 

 fining itself almost entirely to insects and their 

 larvse. 



The Longtailed Tit has the beak black; irides 

 hazel ; forehead, top of the head, cheeks and ear- 

 coverts dull white, spotted on the top of the head 

 with black ; there is a streak of black over the eye 

 extending to the nape ; back and tail-coverts black ; 

 scapulars pink ; wing-coverts black ; primary and 

 secondary quills dusky; tertials lightish brown, 

 edged with white ; tail-feathers very long, the centre 

 ones the longest and black ; the exterior feathers on 

 each side become shorter by degrees, the exterior of 

 all being the shortest and white, as are the next 

 three feathers on the outer and part of the inner 

 web ; throat, breast and belly dull white ; flanks the 

 same, tinged with pink ; legs, toes and claws dark 

 brown, almost black. The young birds have the 

 irides lighter than the old; the top of the head 

 white ; ear-coverts dull black ; cheeks and sides of 

 the neck and all the upper parts dusky brown ; the 

 tertials dusky brown, margined (but not tipped) with 

 white ; and the tail-feathers, when growing, of vari- 

 able comparative lengths; the throat, breast and 

 belly white; under tail-coverts just tinged with 

 pink. 



The egg of the Longtailed Tit is the smallest of 



