THE LONG TAILED TITS. 145 



"of Pomernnia and of the Alps I found this bird equally 

 common.''' 



Nest. A very rough and inartistic mass of dry grass, with a 

 little moss or wool, and occasionally a feather or two. The 

 nest is nearly always placed in the hole of a tree, which the 

 bird sometimes excavates for itself. At other times it nests in 

 the foundations of large nests (Crows, or birds of prey), or even 

 occupies deserted nests of Crows or Magpies, or even that of a 

 Squirrel or a Wren, according to Mr. Seebohm. 



Eggs. From four to seven in number. The general app:ar- 

 ance of the eggs separates them at a glance when they are 

 placed side by side with those of the other British species of 

 Tits, on account of the rufous marking being so pronounced. 

 The eggs are very pretty, and have a white or pinkish -white 

 ground, with bright purplish-red underlying spots, and over- 

 lying spots of brighter red, sometimes confluent, and forming 

 a patch at the larger end. The majority of clutches are boldly 

 marked, and there are not so mnny pale clutches of eggs as are 

 met with in all the species hitherto considered. Axis, 

 c'6-0'65 inch ; diam., o'45-o'5. 



THE LONG-TAILED TITS. GENUS /EGITIIALUS.* 



digit halus, Hermann, Obs. Zool., i., p. 214 (1804). 



Type, y^i. caudatus (Linn.). 



The long tail is the principal character of the genus 

 jEgithalus ; it is always longer than the wing, whereas in the 



* However annoying it may be to have to change well-known generic 

 and specific names, there is no help for it, when the names are beyond 

 question correct. Thus we consider that Dr. Stejneger has proved his 

 point (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., ix., p. 382, 1886) with regard to the super- 

 se^sion of Acredula of Koch by sEgithalus of Hermann. The "Obser- 

 vationes " of the latter author is a work far more entitled to respect than 

 the nominal lists of Forster, Leach, and others, and it is not Hermann's 

 fault, but thai of his successors, that his generic name was not recognised 

 sooner. sEgithxlus was employed for the Penduline Tits by Boie in 1822, 

 but, being preoccupied, must be replaced by Remiza of Stejneger (I.e., 

 p. 387). We do not agree with Dr. Stejneger that the " Pipria (?) curopad" 

 of Hermann was the British species, usually called Acredula vagans 

 (Leach). The only species known in Switzerland appears to be the true 

 sE. caii.latus (L.), cf. Fatio & Studer, Cat. Ois. Suisse, p. 22. 



