COLE TITMOUSE AND LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 135 



of nest-building found in Britain, and probably amongst 

 all the army of feathered architects throughout the 

 world, but few, if any, excel it. The eggs of the Long- 

 tailed Tit are small, and pure white in ground colour, 

 faintly, very faintly, speckled with a few red markings. 

 They are from six to ten in number, but probably eight 

 are most frequently found. The young birds when able 

 to fly still keep in the company of their parents, and 

 remain in company throughout the autumn and winter 

 months. Thus we may infer that but one brood is 

 reared in the year. 



Few things to me are more pleasing than to observe 

 a company of Long-tailed Titmice searching the leafless 

 trees in winter for food. Keeping close together, they 

 explore every branch, bud, and twig, with true Tit-like 

 pertinacity. Now the lower bushes and shrubs are the 

 subject of investigation ; then the topmost branches of 

 the forest trees, even the hedgerows, in their turn, are 

 visited, the whole party flitting from tree to tree in one 

 long straggling train. You cannot separate them ; all 

 flock together, seeming to delight in each Other's company, 

 and the air around is laden with their shrill twittering- 

 call notes. A wandering party they are, too ; here one 

 day, miles away the next. Having no fixed haunt, the 

 whole woodlands are their pastures, and their wanderings 

 doubtless extend from one end of the country to the 

 other, if not over the briny deep itself Their food is 

 everywhere, provided trees and shrubs abound ; for 

 insects innumerable lurk amongst the buds and bark, 

 and it is the duty of the Titmouse to search them out — 

 a duty which is well and effectually performed. Small 

 seeds, too, are eaten, notably those of the birch. The 

 Long-tailed Titmouse, in winter, roosts amongst the 

 branches of the evergreen. The statement that these 



