10 
The Long-tailed Tit. 
This beautiful little bird is a very well-known inhabitant 
of the country-side, and very attractive by reason, also, of its 
elegant form and ceaseless activity, an avian illustration of 
perpetual motion. Long-tailed Tits are sociable birds and are 
almost invariably seen in the autumn and winter in small parties, 
usually consisting of a leader and a following of about ten or 
twelve others. When they are at work they are far from silent, 
although, being such diminutive creatures, the volume of sound 
is not great. The note sounds rather like " Zee-Zee," and they 
have another cry which resembles a whirring or churring sound. 
Xo doubt they consume a large number of insects, in the wild 
state, especially as they are very gluttonotis, and possess a huge 
appetite quite out of i)roportioii to their size. It is an interest- 
ing sight to watcli a party of these birds working along a hedge 
or from btish to bush, seeking their insect food, and assuming 
all sorts of acrobatic positions. They are not shy Ijirds, and it 
is an easy matter to approach quite close to watch them. Thus 
the observer can note the extreme beauty of their plumage, and 
dainty shape, with the long tail, longer than the little bird itself, 
from which it derives its name. The nest is a model of elegance, 
usually found in a bush, although I remember once finding a 
nest quite high up in the fork of a tree and quite in the open. 
But that is unusual, and most of the nests I have seen have been 
in thorny bushes. The nest, which is domed, is made of grey 
lichen and moss, outside, harmonising well with its surround- 
ings and of a wonderfully neat build. Dry grass is used as an 
inner covering to the moss, while the inside of the whole struc- 
ture is composed of a thick layer of feathers, thus making the 
completed nest a beautiful, compact and snug home for the tiny 
Tits when hatched. It has always been a puzzle to me where 
the mother bird puts her tail when sitting on her tiny eggs of 
white with faint red spots. I imagine it must be cocked u]) 
towards the top of the nest. There cannot be much room for 
the young ones when they are hatched, as the long-tailed Tit 
keeps a large family, anything from six to ten being about the 
usual number. 
This species is short-li\cd in continemcnt. If it can carry 
on for two or three years, its owner can consider he has achieved 
a remarkable success, I once owned a specimen for a few weeks 
