How Animals Work. 



actual length over a number of larger species, the 

 little Long-tailed Titmouse, next to the Goldcrest, is 

 the smallest British bird. In spite of its delicacy of 

 form, it is a hardy, active, restless little creature, and 

 is very sociable and fearless. The little bird nests early 

 in the year, the young being often hatched before the 

 end of April. It will build its nest in the most varied 

 situations, though one of its favourite sites is among 

 thick thorns or brambles, or the midst of a furze bush ; 

 sometimes a holly bush or a dense growth of ivy attracts 

 it, or it will build in the fork of a willow, ash, or some 

 other tree. 



The actual building operations generally start with 

 the weaving of the bottom of the nest, the birds build- 

 ing upwards, and using chiefly moss and wool held 

 together by spiders' webs in the construction of the 

 outer walls, while the interior is lined with feathers. 

 In the first stages of its construction the nest looks 

 very much like the half -finished nest of a Chaffinch. 

 The amount of material used, and the labour of collect- 

 ing and weaving it together, are prodigious, the cock 

 and the hen bird taking an equal share in the task. 

 Gradually the sides of the nest are built up, the little 

 feathered architects at first working perfectly evenly 

 at the mossy walls; but as the work progresses one 

 side of the nest begins to rise more rapidly than the 

 other, and this side is continued over the top, forming 

 the dome of the nest, beneath which is the little en- 

 trance hole. Then the exterior is incrusted all over 

 with gray tree lichens, and this exquisite piece of 

 work is completed. When built in the midst of a 

 thorn bush, several of the supporting branches are 



108 



