BRITISH LCNG-TAILED TITMOUSE — GREAT TITMOUSE. 
63 
was on lOtli Xov., 1870, and he had never seen others, before or since. It 
appears that, of the three birds shot, two were males and one female. One 
male went to the Museum, and the pair to Elkington. Mentioning these to 
Turner, he said it was no doubt the case, as he had received several about 
1876-7, shot at the reed-beds under the Castle, Leicester, and that he always 
imagined they bred there. IMr. H. A. Payne, of Enville, gave me a note 
of the occurrence of this bird at Oroby Pool, and thinking he might be 
mistaken, I suggested the immature Reed-Bunting, whereupon he wrote : — 
“ I know the Reed-Bunting well, and am sure that I did not mistake them 
for Tits. I have no doubt in my mind about the birds my friend and I 
saw at Giroby Pool being Bearded Tits. There were about a dozen of them 
running up the reeds, and popping in and out the rushes. This was in 
July, 1883.” 
In Rutla?jd. — Xo report. 
Family PARIDiE. 
BRITISH I.OXG-TA1LED TITIMOUSE. Acreclula caudata rosea (Blyth). 
“ Bottle-jug,” “ Bottle-Tit,” “ Mumruffin.” 
Resident, but sparingly distributed. — Harley wrote : — “ Pretty plentiful 
in thickly -wooded tracts, as, for example, the vicinity of Xewtown Linford, 
Groby, and Ansty.” I never met with this bird in Leicestershire until 
Partridge-shooting in Sept., 1887, when I saw a small colony haunting tall 
hedges, as is their wont, just above Saddington Reservoir. Again, when 
Rabbit-shooting in the “Bay” at Billesdon Coplow, on 17th Xov. of the same 
year, I saw another small flock (one of which I shot), and therefore conclude 
that the species is locally distributed, and by no means common. 
I have received the nest from Belvoir, Bradgate, and Braunstone, and 
]Mr. Davenport informs me that he finds half-a-dozen nests every season ; one, 
in April, 1883, being built in a thorn-bush in Tugby Wood, and containing 
thirteen eggs. 
In Rutland.— Resident, but sparingly distributed. 
GREAT TITjMOL^SE. Parus major, Lin 
“ Blackcap ” (by error), “ Great Tit,” “ Ox-eye Tit,” “ Saw- . 
sharpener ”(in allusion to its note), “ Tom Tit.” 
Resident, and generally distributed. — In June, 1883, I found, in an apple- 
tree at Aylestone Hall, a nest of this species in juxtaposition with a nest of the 
Blue Tit, both containing young. It is well known what singular situations this 
bird and the Blue Tit will sometimes choose for nesting, but never, perhaps. 
