NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
13 
08. Nest of Long-tailed Tit. — In a letter from a young friend I find 
this observation as to the amount of feathers collected by a long-tailed lit. It 
seems to me to be interesting, as showing the industry of the bird and the patience 
of a Nature student. F.i.iza llRKiit twen. 
“ In the summer I found a long-tailed tits’ nest, and when it was quite done 
with I counted the feathers with which it was lined, and found, to my surprise, 
they amounted to one thousand and fifteen. 
Kditii M. Verim.” 
69. Cornish Gull’s Homing Instinct. Captain Knowles, a gentle- 
man living at Trealh, Ilelford, some months ago caught a young sea-gull, which 
he brought up as a pet in his own garden. About six weeks ago he took up his 
residence at St. Mawes, and the bird was carried thither confined in a box. About 
a fortnight since he missed the gull and gave it up for lost, but much to his 
surprise it has just turned up at its old home at Trealh. As the gull’s wings were 
cut to prevent its flying it must have swum the distance, which is about seven or 
eight miles.”— IVesUnt Morning News. 
70. About Tortoises. — We have kept tortoises, those strange “Winners 
in Life’s Race,” for many years, and at the present lime we possess two of them 
as pets. One we have had for ten years, the other, a liny l^aby about the size of 
a lady’s belt buckle, we brought home with us from Morocco last February. The 
baby, wrapped in flannel, has gone to sleep for the winter ; the older tortoise still 
perambulates our study, and at the moment of writing lies cuddled up with the 
cat in front of the fire. Pussy is quite content to let her strange companion lie 
thus, as long as he lies quiet ; but as a rule the spirit of unrest seems in possession, 
and in trying to burrow deeper and deeper into pussy’s fur, he succeeds in 
clambering over her back, to her great discomfiture. At last, unable to bear 
more, pussy rises indignantly, and generally precipitates the tortoise on to his 
back, when with stretched-out head, and feet beating the air frantically in his 
effort to right himself, he makes a most ludicrous figure. 
Some years ago we allowed one of our tortoises to bury himself in the garden 
during the winter. Next spring we found him dead, and this experience has 
taught us to bring in our pets as soon as frost appears. It may be that in chalky 
or loamy soil the tortoise would be quite safe, but the chill London clay was the 
death of one tortoise, and we do not feel inclined to risk another. For such 
seemingly stupid creatures tortoises show an intelligence that surprises one. Our 
big tortoise we called “Jim,” but as a new relation of that name entered the 
family circle, we thought it politic, as well as polite, to change “ Jim ” to “ Vacob.” 
But Yacob, who knows our voice, is somewhat conservative, and ignores his new 
name, and we must own that “Jim” comes readiest to our own lips. At the 
sound of the well-known “Jim, Jim,” Yacob comes lumping towards us with 
amazing agility for a tortoise. When we sit down to read or work Yacob will 
come and rest himself on oui feet, and frequently goes to sleep in this position. 
Sometimes he has a ranging fit, and walks round and round the room, always 
taking the same course, and as though practising for an obstacle race. The coal- 
scuttle against the wall incites him to get at the back of it, at any cost, with the 
result that he frequently gets wedged in, although it is wonderful the strength 
tortoises have to push aside quite heavy articles. Behind the bookcase is another 
favourite road, because to get into and out of this highway is a difficult feat. 
He diversifies his walk sometimes by going to the head of the stairs and 
peeping over. Once he tumbled to the bottom and learnt caution. Now he is 
satisfied to look down the staircase, his head tilted on one side like a bird. The 
baby tortoise learnt a similar lesson, when he tried to step from the table to thin 
air, and with like results. 
A new cat we have just adopted cannot understand Yacob at all. She will 
sit and watch him for a long time, and when his head appears give it a sharp pat, 
and lo ! the head has vanished, to her great astonishment. The feet of the tortoise 
are also a great mystery to her, and at the slightest movement she pounces upon 
them and seems quite nonplussed at their disappearance. 
A young English terrier we had at one time used to sit, his forepaws well out 
before and his hind legs gathered up under his body, ready to spring, and bark 
frantically at Yacob. It was quite amusing to see the dog, with puzzled air, paw 
