210 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



On June 17th the young birds left the nest. It will be thus 

 seen that five days were spent by the old birds in building the 

 nest, seven in laying, twelve in incubation, and twenty-three in 

 rearing the young. Contrary to expectation, the Great Tits did 

 not use the box for roosting at night after the nestlings left it. 



On the day of flight the seven young were seen at intervals 

 following the parent birds from tree to tree. Food was still 

 carried to them, and it was a pretty sight to see them feed. On 

 June 21st two adults and five young Great Tits were seen, close 

 to the box, searching for food in the fruit-trees, and now the 

 young were making efforts to find their own food. 



On June 26th the same numbers, and almost certainly the 

 same birds, were observed in the orchard, but after that date no 

 family of Great Tits was seen in company, although numbers of 

 young and adult birds were common through the summer. This 

 would rather point to the breaking up of the Great Tit family 

 much sooner after the nest is left than is the case with its 

 relation, the Long-tailed Tit (Acredula caudata). Families of 

 this species are known to keep together months after leaving 

 the nest. 



It is perhaps worthy of note that the eggs in this nest were 

 left uncovered until the female began to sit ; often the Great 

 Tits cover their eggs with feathers or wool when leaving the nest, 

 and continue to do so till the full clutch is laid and incubation 

 begins. 





