LARKS, TITMICE, HONEY-EATERS, THEIR KINDRED 
131 
The Titmice occur in one form or another 
all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in the 
New World as far south as Southern Mexico. 
The family may be divided into T RUE, C RESTED, 
Long-tailed, and PendulineTits and Reed- 
lings, all but the penduline tits being repre- 
sented in England. 
Of the true tits, the best known is the 
Blue Tit, which is no stranger even in London 
parks. Traveling in small bands throughout 
the autumn and winter, they may frequently 
be met with during a country walk, their 
presence being made known by a pretty tink- 
ling little note. This method of traveling 
is obviously advantageous, for the discovery 
of food at this time is an arduous task, and, 
if undertaken individually, many would surely 
starve, as Professor Newton points out: “A 
single titmouse searching alone might hunt 
for a whole day without meeting with a 
sufficiency, whilst, if a dozen are united by 
the same motive, it is hardly possible for 
the place in which the food is lodged to 
escape their detection, and, when discovered, 
a few call-notes from the lucky finder are 
enough to assemble the whole company to 
share the feast. . . . One tree after another 
is visited by the active little rovers, and its 
branches examined : if nothing be forthcoming, 
away goes the explorer to the next that presents itself, merely giving utterance to the usual 
twitter that serves to keep the whole body together. But if the object of search be found, 
another chirp is emitted, and the ne.xt moment several members of the band are flitting in 
succession to the tree, and eagerly engaged with the spoil.” 
These little birds display great affection for their old nesting-places. An instance is on 
record where, so far back as 1785, a pair built their nest in a large earthenware bottle placed 
in the branches of a tree in a garden at Oxbridge, near Stockton-on-Tees. With two exceptions 
only, this bottle was tenanted by a pair of these birds every year till 1873. In 1892 Professor 
Newton, who had this account from Canon Tristram, was informed that the occupancy had 
ceased for four years. 
The Long-tailed or Bottle-tit is a British species, deriving its name from the long tail. 
It is a pretty little bird, black and rose-colour above, with a rose-coloured abdomen, and the 
head, throat, and breast white. It enjoys the distinction of being one of the smallest British 
birds, and is found in woods and plantations all over England, though less common in 
Scotland. These tits have a curious habit of roosting during the winter, six or seven hucidling 
together in a row, with three or four others perched on their backs, and two or three on 
the top. 
The nest, which is placed in a tree or bush, is a model of industry. Oval in shape, 
and roofed, with a small aperture near the top, it is composed of moss, lichen, and hair, 
closely felted and lined with an enormous collection of feathers, Macgillivray having counted 
2,779 ir* ^ single nest. 
Other species of titmice occurring in Britain are the Great, Marsh-, Goal-, and 
Crested Tits. 
