THE LONG-TAILED TIT. 457 



rarious colours, are four or five in number. The young birds 

 should be taken out of the nest when nearly fledged, and reared 

 on ants' eggs and chopped meal worms. 



Mode of Taking. This is not an easy bird to catch ; though 

 fishermen and fowlers sometimes observe the spots which it 

 frequents, and set limed twigs for it. <> 



Attractive Qualities. These are chiefly its beauty, elegance 

 of form, and lively disposition. Some of the notes in the song 

 of the male deserve to be compared with those of the Tom Tit. 



ADDITIONAL. This bird has been separated from the genus 

 Parus by Dr. LEA.CH, in his Systematic Catalogue, and dis- 

 tinguished by the generic title Calamophilus, in reference to its 

 partiality for those marshy and fenny districts in which reeds 

 grow most luxuriantly. It does not appear to have ever been a 

 very rare bird in this country, yet from the soft and almost 

 inaccessible nature of the places which it mostly frequents, but 

 little comparatively was known of its habits, until recent con- 

 tributions to the various periodicals devoted to natural history, 

 served to place them in a clearer light. A writer in London s 

 Magazine, a few years since, stated " that after a close search, he 

 had - discovered a flock of eight or ten of these beautiful little 

 creatures on the wing, in a large piece of reeds, below Barking 

 Creek, in Essex. They were just topping the reeds in their 

 flight, and uttering in full chorus their sweetly musical note ; it 

 may be compared to the music of very small cymbals, is clear 

 and ringing, though soft, and corresponds well with the delicacy 

 and beauty of the form and colour of the birds. Several flocks 

 were seen during the morning. Their flight was short and low, 

 only sufficient to clear the reeds, on the seedy tops of which they 

 alight to feed, hanging, like most of their tribe, with the head or 

 back downwards. If disturbed, they immediately descend by 

 running, or rather by dropping. The movement is rapid along 

 the stalk to the bottom, where they creep and flit, perfectly con- 

 cealed from view by the closeness of the covert, and the resem- 

 bling tints of their plumage." 



MACGILLIVEAY calls this bird the Bearded Pinnock ; he says 

 it is also known as the Least Butcher Bird ; according to MUDIB, 

 it ought to be called the Bearded Reed Bird. 



179. THE LONG-TAILED TIT. 



Paurus Candatus, LIN. 

 In the same genus with the preceding species, Dr. LEACH 



