LONG-TAILED TITS. 489 



wood. Unlike the birds forming the genus Parus, the Long-tailed Tit 

 builds a nest in the branches of trees and shrubs — a nest of matchless 

 beauty, which costs the little owners at least a fortnight's incessant 

 labour to complete. In the slender twigs near the lichen-covered branch 

 of a hoary oak tree, in the branches of the hazel or the whitethorn in the 

 hedgerows, or amongst the prickly branches of the furze, where the fresh 

 green foliage and bright-yellow blooms form a contrast of the greatest 

 beauty — in all these situations the Long-tailed Tit's nest may be frequently 

 found. But it is perhaps seen in the branches of the holly or the white- 

 thorn more frequently than in any other situation. It is built at various 

 heights from, the ground, sometimes only a few feet, at others, as mentioned 

 by Mr. Wharton, at an elevation of fifty feet. Apropos of this matter 

 several interesting communications may be found in the ' Zoologist ' for 

 1882, pp. 187, 233, 234, made by the above-named naturalist and several 

 others. Mr. J. Cordeaux also gives an instance in the 'Zoologist,' 1873 

 (p. 3558) , of a nest of this bird placed at the very summit of a spruce-fir 

 fourteen feet from the ground. The nest is oval in shape; and a small 

 hole in tlie side near the top admits the parent bii'ds. The materials that 

 compose it are very similar to those used by the Chaffinch — the gi'eenest 

 moss, lichens, and cobwebs all felted artfully together, and lined with an im- 

 mense number of feathers and hairs. The nest of this bird is undoubtedly 

 the finest piece of bird-architecture found in our islands. The eggs of the 

 Long-tailed Tit vary considerably in number. Some nests only contain 

 six eggs, whilst others may be found with eleven, and in rare instances as 

 many as sixteen or twenty have been known. It is the opinion of some 

 observers that where so many eggs are found in the nest they are the 

 production of more than one female. We have, however, no direct 

 evidence that such is the case. The eggs are pure white or pearly grey 

 in ground-colour, with a few small spots of light-red, and fainter marks of 

 purple, although many specimens are spotless or appear to have the scanty 

 colouring-matter delicately suffused over the entire surface ; sometimes they 

 are without any trace of markings. They measure from -63 to '52 inch in 

 length and from '48 to -4 inch in breadth. The eggs of this bird are less 

 spotted than those of any other Tit. 



Several naturalists, amongst whom may be included Selby, have asserted 

 that the nest of this bird contains two holes ; but if such be the case, it 

 is a most exceptional occurrence. The bird when sitting places its long 

 tail over its back ; in fact it would be difficult for it to sit in any other 

 manner. When we bear in mind how numerous their family, it is indeed 

 wonderful how the little creatures rear them. That they safely do so is 

 proved by the fact that in a few short weeks they may all be seen in 

 the company of their parents, with whom they keep in a family party through 

 the coming autumn and winter. 



