AMONG THE BIRDS IN WINTER. 287 



groves, and never fail to interest us by their 

 droll antics and rapid movements. All the British 

 species of this group are resident with us, though 

 their numbers are increased during autumn and 

 winter by birds from more northern lands. The 

 Blue Tit is the most familiar, and is a constant 

 visitor to the trees and gardens near houses. 

 The Marsh Tit is the least so ; but the Coal Tit 

 and the Great Tit, the largest member of the 

 group, especially during hard weather, are very 

 tame and confiding. The Crested Tit rarely 

 leaves his Highland forests, or the beautiful 

 Bearded Tit the fastnesses of the fens ; and the 

 Long-tailed Tit loves the woods and fields at 

 all seasons, no cold or snow driving it from its 

 favourite haunts among the trees and hedges. 

 A bit of suet or a bone is a never-failing attrac- 

 tion for the Blue Tit, and its comical ways and 

 grotesque attitudes as it perches on these dainty 

 morsels are amusing in the extreme. These 

 birds often pick at fallen apples in the orchard, 

 and frequently visit any stray fruit that the gales 

 have left upon the trees. 



Many a pleasant hour may be spent watching 

 the habits of birds in the early hours of a winter 

 morning. In spite of the cold, the majority of 

 species are early risers, and many are abroad 

 before the sun has risen. Here is a table 

 showing the time of awakening of some of our 

 common birds on the i7th of February. The 



