Tits at Work 



the house afforded endless nesting sites. An 

 inch-wide crack is quite large enough to admit 

 of the passage of a tit ; when this was nego- 

 tiated the space between the old and the 

 new roof afforded endless possibilities. Small 

 wonder, then, that a pair of tits had elected 

 to nest there. 



The green-backed tit is one of the most 

 abundant birds in the Himalayas. It is about 

 the size of a sparrow. The head is black with 

 a small perky crest. The cheeks are spotless 

 white. The back of the head is connected by 

 a narrow black collar with an expansive shirt- 

 front of this hue. The remainder of the 

 plumage is bright yellow. The back is greenish 

 yellow, the rest of the plumage is slaty with 

 some dashes of black and white. Thus the 

 green-backed tit is a smart little bird. It is 

 as vivacious as it is smart. It constantly utters 

 a sharp, not unpleasant, metallic dissyllabic call, 

 which sounds like kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, kiss 

 me. This is one of the most familiar of the 

 tunes that enliven our northern hill stations. 



So much for the bird : now for its nest. A 



nest in a hole possesses many advantages. Its 



preparation does not entail very much labour. 



It has not to be built ; it merely needs fur- 

 129 I 



