(2L •67 A 2 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR NESTS, EGGS, HABITS ETC,,LETC., ETC. BY H. G. AND H. B. ADAMS ILLUSTRATED WITH COLOURED PLATES OF BIRDS AND EGGS GIBBIXGS & COMPANY, LIMITED, 1 8, BURY STREET, LONDON, W.C. 1894 CONTENTS. PAGE PAGH Great Tit 5 Nightingale . . 105 Blue Tit 6 Blackcap . 108 Cole, or Coal Tit 10 Orphean Warbler .111 Crested Tit 11 Garden Warbler 112 Marsh Tit .... 12 Whitethroat . . .114 Long-tailed Tit . 14 Lesser Whitethroat . 117 Bearded Tit . . . 16 Wood Warbler . . 123 White Wagtail .... 23 Willow Warbler 125 Grey Wagtail .... 24 Chiff Chaff . . 128 Grey-Headed Wagtail . 25 Dartford Warbler . 129 Pied Wagtail .... 27 Wren .... . 131 Yellow Wagtail .... 31 Goldcrest . 134 Richard's Pipit .... 35 Firecrest . 136 Meadow Pipit . 36 Pied Flycatcher 141 Red-throated Pipit . 39 Spotted Flycatcher . 142 Tree Pipit 40 Swift .... 144 Rock Pipit 43 Swallow . 146 Shore Lark ..... 49 Martin 148 Short-Toed Lark 50 Sand Martin . .150 Wood Lark . . , . . ' 51 Bee-eater . . .' . 151 Sky Lark 54 Snow Bunting .;. . 155 Crested Lark 61 Lapland Bunting 157 Alpine Accentor 67 Common Bunting . 158 Hedge Accentor . 68 Black-headed Bunting 160 Redbreast ..... 71 Yellow Bunting . . 162 Bluebreast 78 Cirl Bunting 164 Redstart 80 Ortolan Bunting . . 165 Blackstart * .... 81 Chaffinch . 171 Stonechat ..... 87 Mountain Finch . . 173 Whinchat 89 Greenfinch 174 91 Hawfinch 176 Grasshopper Warbler . 93 Goldfinch . 178 Savi's Warbler .... 95 Bullfinch . 180 Sedge Warbler .... 96 Siskin 187 Reed Warbler • 99 . 188 COSTEXT8. PAGE FAOK Bedpole 190 . 222 Mealy Rcdpole .... 191 Thrush 227 Twite 192 Rock Thrush . 229 Sparrow 193 Blackbird . 230 Tree Sparrow .... 197 Ring Ouzel . . . . 233 Pine Grossbcak .... 203 Golden Oriole . 234 Crossbill 204 WP swing . 235 Parrot Crossbill .... 207 Nuthatch . 241 American White- winged Crossbill 208 Wryneck . 243 Two-barred Crossbill . 209 Creeper 244 Rose-colonred Pastor 213 Great Shrike . 245 Starling 214 Red-backed Shrike . . 247 Dipper .... 217 Woodchat . . 24S Missel Thrush • • 218 249 Fieldfare 220 INTRODUCTION. r I ^HERB are some subjects of which the public are never tired of -*- reading, nor authors of writing, and one of these is Birds. A new book on this subject can never be out of season; provided it is written in a loving and appreciative spirit, always will it find readers, although it may contain nothing particularly original or striking. Tear after year the trees bud and blossom, and put forth leaves and fruitage; year after year the beautiful flowers carpet the woodlands afresh with variegated dyes, "paint the meadows with delight," and make the earth one blooming garden; year after year the sweet spring calls forth the native songsters to renew their interrupted melody, and the air is winnowed by countless wings of the feathered voyagers, who pass the winter in warmer climates; and always is the fresh verdure, the unfolding of the flowers, the burst of vernal melody, and all the lovely sights and sounds, and indications of reviving nature, a source of delight to the thoughtful and reflective mind. So it is with a new book on Birds, or Flowers; it is always welcome, for truly has the poet said "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever." Our present endeavour is to produce a book which shall give a concise, yet sufficiently full description of the smaller British Birds; not a scientific book, but one essentially popular in its character, rendered attractive by life-like portraits of our feathered clients, drawn and coloured as closely to nature as the eye and the hand of the artist can make them, and arranged in groups which shall at once show their relationships with each other, and affinities with the whole orni- thological system. A book that shall be sufficiently cheap for young 2 INTRODUCTION. purchasers; sufficiently beautiful for the abodes of the wealthy j sufficiently simple and clear in its descriptions to interest the young, and be understood by all; sufficiently accurate to obtain the approval of the scientific teacher. We do not claim for it the character of an educational manual, but that of an agreeable companion for the woods and fields, as well as for the wintry fireside, when •Tis pleasant to think of the trill of the Lark, And the song of the Nightingale flooding the dark, And the sweet mellow strains of the Blackbird and Thrush, And many a songster's melodious gush; And back, by the aid of bright memories, bring The sunshine of summer, the freshness of spring. We have appended to our description of each group of Birds a few simple directions for their treatment in confinement, not because we advocate their being so kept, but that we would make their lives as healthful and happy, when they are, as circumstances will permit. Some of them, we feel sure, have as much enjoyment, and far less privation, in the cage and aviary, as though they were free to go and come at will, and to birds bred in confinement, and unaccustomed to provide for themselves, release would be positive cruelty. But too often Feathered Pets suffer and die for want of proper care and attention to their nature and necessities, and we would press upon the consciences of those who keep birds, for their pleasure or profit, that they cannot neglect them without offending Him unnoted by whom "no Sparrow falls to the ground." H. G. A. THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. TITS, OR TITMICE. fT^HESE members of the sub-family Parince form a very compact group of birds, distinguished from all others by certain unmistak- able marks and characteristics. They have mostly short, robust bodies, with plumage boldly marked, having strong contrasts of colour; their bills are short and sharp, suitable for insect-hunters, which they all are. Their motions are quick and irregular, and their feet and claws, although slight, are very strong, enabling them to grasp the trunks and boughs of trees very tightly, so that they can search the under parts, and move about with their heads downwards, in which position they are as often seen as in any other; their hind toes and claws are unusually long, an obvious advantage to their mode of life. They belong to the Dentirostral tribe of birds, viz : those having the tip of the upper mandible slightly toothed and hooked. The Tits are wonderfully active birds, seeming to be almost inces- santly in motion; they can fly very well, but do not exercise that power much, generally keeping pretty close to the trees where they find their insect food, on which, however, they do not feed exclusively, 4 TI1E SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. varying it occasionally by seeds, buds, fruits, and grain, sometimes even nuts, the shells of which they are able to break with their strong bills ; they pick to pieces the pine-cones, and eat the seeds; of those of the sunflower they are said to be particularly fond. They are partial to the fat of meat, which is often used as bait in the traps set for them. TITS, OR TITMICE. THE GREAT TIT, (Parus major.'] PLATE I. FIGURE I. RANKS first in point of size of the seven British species, which by no means include all the Tits known. The whole length of this bird is rather less than six inches ; this includes the tail, which is somewhat short. The colours in the plumage are sufficiently diversified to pro- duce a very striking effect. The top of the head, like the breast, chin, and throat, is black; there is a broad patch of white on either cheek, and a bar of white across the wings, the coverts of which are mostly grey. The cheeks, breast, sides, and flanks are a dull yellow ; the legs, toes, and claws lead-colour. The Ox-Eye Tit, as this bird is often called, may be found in most of the wooded and cultivated districts of England and Scotland, being most plentiful in the southern parts; it is a bold, pugnacious bird, and will fight when occasion requires, desperately; it has been known to spilt open the skull of another bird with its bill, and feast on the brains, therefore it is best kept out of the aviary. On the Continent it is found as far north as Sweden and Russia ; it is sometimes known as the Blackcap, from the colour of its head, but this name belongs of right to one of the sweetest of British Warblers. Now Master Tom is not a sweet songster, although he has considerable power and flexibility of voice; he chatters, and screams, rather than sings; except in the pairing time, when he does his own wooing in a really melodious manner, you might fancy when you heard him, that some- body in the woods was filing a saw, or sharpening a scythe. He is not a bad mimic, and when this grating noise ceases, the listener will probably hear what seems to be the sharp finlt-fiiik of the Chaffinch, the clear note of the Robin, or the doleful cry of the Yellow-hammer; then again goes the chur, chur-r, chur-r-r, like the turning of a grindstone, and you know that the bold Ox-Eye is but mocking you. There he is, up among the boughs of yonder old oak, looking for some decayed part into which he can thrust his bill, and extract 6 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. delicious morsels, in the shape of wood-lice and spiders, grubs and maggots, and such like dainty fare. He visits tho gardens and orchards when the buds are on the trees, and picks off a great many, but then they are mostly rotten at the core; he knows that there is a maggot inside of each, which will prevent its coming to perfection. But it is in the woods that the greater part of his life is spent. He is not a very sociable bird, is much oftener alone than in com- pany of others, even of his own kith and kin. When the time comes for nesting, he and Mrs. Tom just look out for a suitable place, which will probably be a hole in some old wall, or a cavity in a decayed tree, which may furnish at once lodging and food. Then they get together a little of any soft stuff they can lay their bills on — moss, feathers, leaves, or hair; of these they make a loose kind of nest, or merely line the cavity chosen. Sometimes the deserted habitation of a Crow or Magpie is taken possession of; an old flower pot, a broken bottle, the hollow of a pump where the handle works up and down, a Grecian vase in a garden, a letter-box, almost any- thing and everything which will afford the needful shelter; and there the hen will sit upon her eggs, in number from six to eleven or more, of a white colour, with reddish brown spots all over them, careless of prying eyes, or even of curious fingers, at which she will peck fiercely if they are intruded within her nest. Meanwhile the male takes up his station not far off, and is ready to do battle with all comers who threaten his mate or offspring. Some have likened the spring call of this bird to " oxeye, oxeye, oxeye," hence its most popular name. This has been heard even as early as the 24th. December, when the ice was an inch thick on tho ponds. This call consists of a high and low note, and may be heard half a mile away. Some country people call the bird Sit-ye-down, from a fancied resemblance of one of its calls to this compound word. THE BLUE TIT, (Parns c&ru/eus.) PLATE I. — FIGURE II. THIS bird, which is perhaps tho best known of the Tit family, has a variety of popular names, such as Blue-cap and Blue-bonnet, from TITS, OR TITMICE. 7 the colour of his head; Nun, because, we suppose, he wears a hood or cowl as monks and nuns do; Blue Mope, why? it would perhaps be difficult to say: the bird is not at all mopish, but as lively as a bird need be; but then monastic people are supposed to be so, and this is but a repetition of the monkisk or nunnish title. Then he is the Billy-biter, because he bites the fingers of Billy, or Bobby, or any other foolish boy who goes prying into his nest; and he is also the Hickwall, for does he not pick, and peck, and hick, and hack at the crumbling mortar of the old wall, where spiders lurk, and other insects, for he is a student of entomology. Lastly, people call him the Tomtit, for although not the biggest, he is the commonest, the best dressed, the liveliest, and the most popular of the family. Our readers may take their choice of these names, and call him by that they like best. He is a very beautiful, clever, and amusing little bird, under whatever title he may appear. Not quite "all the Blue-bonnets are over the Border," for they are found yet in most parts of England, but a good many of them are, being absent only in the extreme north. In Ireland, too, they are not uncommon, and nearly all over Europe their shrill notes may at times be heard; they extend as far north as Norway, Sweden, and the south of Russia; among the islands of Greece they flit and flutter in the sunshine, on the foggy flats of Holland they are not unknown, and the Switzer sees them in his green valleys, that lie beneath and between the great mountains capped with snow. In those bright islands from whence it is said the Canary Birds first came, Master Tommy disports himself, and even in Japan his presence is reported, so that our Blue Tit is quite a citizen of the world. In our own country he is somewhat migratory, moving southward as the cold weather comes on. During the summer he keeps pretty much within the shelter of the green wood, but towards autumn, when his family cares are over, he may be seen in every hedgerow, and es- pecially in and about the gardens. In the spring these birds are mostly seen in pairs, in the summer in families, and in the winter in small flocks. Their flight from place to place is laboured and unsteady, accomplished by repeated flappings of the wings. Their note is short and sharp, broken up into little bits as it were, like the words zit, zit, tzitzee; tsee, tsee, tsirr, or chica, chica, chirr-r-r. If dis- turbed on her nest, the hen bird spits like a cat, and ruffles up her feathers, looking very fierce indeed. Many a boy has been scared away by the hissing sound she makes, thinking he has aroused the anger of a snake. If she cannot drive away the intruder by such devices, she will boldly attack him, and bite severe!/. Hardly anything 8 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. will induce her to forsake her young, but she will defend them against tho Hawk, the Owl, the Magpie, the Thrush, or any other feathered depredator. One has been known to sit still while a part of the tree on which she had built was being sawed off; another who had built in a box hung at the side of the house, did not fly off when the box was lifted off its support and taken into the house, nor forsake her nest, as many birds would have done, when it was replaced; another, who had nested in a letter-box which was opened twice every day to take out the letters, hatched and reared her young in that strange place, without showing any signs of fear at the near approach of her enemy man. Again, there was one, who having built in the hollow of a pump, where the handle is inserted, sat steadily, notwithstanding the noise and motion caused by the working of the pump. Pages and pages might be filled with a bare mention of the curious places in which the Blue Tit has chosen to build, or rather to lay eggs, for about building very little trouble is taken; almost any hollow place will suffice for the purpose, and a very little of any soft materials will do for the lining of the hole in which the eggs may be found in March or April; thoy vary in number from eight to twelve, — as many as eighteen have been counted in one nest, and as few as six, in the latter case perhaps some may have been destroyed. Their colour is white with a delicate pink tinge, and reddish brown spots. A few more curiosities of Blue Tit nidification may be here men- tioned. We have spoken of the pump and the letter-box in which the funny bird posted her eggs without any direction, consequently they were never taken out and delivered, but very soon their contents became known, for they flew all over the country. One of these birds, which had no doubt taken the pledge, had her tail worn to a stump by the friction of the pump handle, but she bravely sat out her term, and no doubt taught all her young to be total abstainers. We are told of one who made her nest in a bottle, up and down the neck of which she passed every time she fed her fledglings, ten in number; the bottle was fifteen inches deep, and the neck one inch in diameter, and through this narrow passage every two or three minutes during the day went one or other of the parent birds with a grub or caterpillar, or some insect for the craving little ones. A very strange and ghastly place indeed did one pair of these birds choose for their habitation, viz.: the mouth of the skeleton of a murderer that hung on a gibbet. This was in the old days when the bones of those who had committed great crimes were allowed to bleach in the sun, and rattle in the wintry wind, as a warning to evil doers. All this is TITS, OR TITMICE. 9 altered now; 'our criminals are rarely executed, and we put them out of sight as soon as possible, as things too loathesome and horrible to be looked on. But the joyous and innocent birds knew nothing of crime and its consequences, and to them the skeleton's head was as good a place to nest in as any other hollow space. Nothing did they know of the thoughts that once passed through those chambers of the brain, of the guilty terrors that must have had a place there, and dared not go forth into the sunshine, as the happy birds did, and return gladly to their home and waiting offspring. A very gay bird is Master Blue-cap,~as to dress, we mean; blue of various shades is the prevailing colour. It is streaked and banded with white, varied with yellow, which deepens at places into green and brown; he is quite a beau in his small way. About half an ounce being his weight, and four inches and a half his length; a bold, lively, and most interesting bird, a great friend to the farmers and gardeners, although they cannot be brought to believe this, but shoot him without mercy, and have sometimes offered a reward of so much per dozen for Tomtit's heads, forgetting that so persevering a des- troyer of insects cannot, be other than a friend to them, although he may sometimes help himself to some of their seeds, and fruit, and green stuffs. Mr. Knapp, in his " Journal of a Naturalist/' mentions that "An item passed in one of a late churchwarden's accounts was for seventeen dozen of Tomtit's heads;" and a close observer has estimated that a pair of these birds, while feeding their young, destroyed six or seven hundred insects in the course of a single day. Suppose they do this for a month only, taking the lowest of the above num- bers, we have 18,000, that is 9,000 to each bird; multiply that by the number of birds whose heads were barbarously wrung off, and igno- rantly paid for, we have an army of devastation amounting to 206,000 which these poor slaughtered Tits would probably have killed, if they had been suffered to live. Let oar agricultural and horticultural friends think upon this, and Spare the Tits, the sprightly birds, The insect hunters, never weary; They can but chirp, they have no words To plead themselves, but, ever cheery, They flit and flutter where they can, Still doing good, and helping man. 10 THE SMALLER HRH'ISIF BIRDS. THE COLE, OR COAL TIT, (Parus a/tr.) PLATK I. — FIGURE III. ALMOST everywhere in England this member of the Tit family may be seen, and yet it is not very plentiful anywhere; like the Great Tit, it remains with us throughout the year, and is most conspicuous in the winter, because then it is more in the open fields, and in company with others of its own species. It is not a shy bird, like some that shun human habitations, being a not unfrequent visitor in and near to busy towns; even in the great metropolis itself it has been observed. The Cole Tit is generally distributed over Ireland; it is found in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and among the pine forests of the more northerly parts of Scotland; indeed it seems to prefer the pines and firs to any other trees, and in summer time keeps very much in the shelter of the woods. The following is a pretty picture of its habits by the Scotch naturalist, Macgillivray : — " It is pleasant to follow a troop of these tiny creatures as they search the tree tops, spreading all around, fluttering and creeping among the branches, ever in motion, now clinging to a twig in an inverted position, now hovering over a tuft of leaves, picking in a crevice of the bark, searching all the branches, sometimes visiting the lowermost, and again winding among those at the very tops of the trees. In wandering among these woods, you are attracted by their shrill cheeping notes, which they continually emit, as they flutter among the branches; and few persons thus falling in with a flock, can help standing still to watch their motions for awhile." To this Mr. Morris, in his "History of British Birds," adds, "It is also observable how suddenly, without any apparent cause, the whole troop, as if under marching orders, flit in a body from the tree and alight elsewhere, again to go through their exercises, evolutions and mano3uvres." The note of the Golem ouse, as this bird is sometimes called, is sharp and shrill, something like zit, zit, zit-tee, che-chee, che-chee, and is so loud, that, like that of the Oxeye, it may be heard a long way off; it is first heard in February at rare intervals, but does not become very constant until about August, by which time a second brood is often fledged, the firsu being ready to leave the nest in May or June. A hole in a tree, generally at a less height from the ground than TITS, OR TITMICE. 11 that chosen by the other Titmice, is the chosen nesting-place of this, the smallest of British Tits ; sometimes its eggs are laid in a cavity of a wall near the base, in a hollow in a bank, or even amid the twisted roots of a tree, or a hole dug by a rat, mouse, or mole ; the eggs are from six to eight or more in number, white, spotted with red; moss, with a lining of hair or fur, are the materials generally used in the construction of the nest, in which the male and female sit by turns ; if intruded on while sitting, the bird makes a hissing noise, and will defend the young with great spirit and determination. The plumage of this diminutive bird, whose length is about four inches and a quarter, and weight seldom comes up to half an ounce, is not so diversified as that of most other Tits ; the crown of the head is black, glossed with blue; the chin and throat are also black, and the sides near the wings ; the back is a dark ashy grey, with a greenish tinge towards the lower parts, and the wings are ash coloured and black, with a bar of white across the lower part. There is a white stripe from the back of the head down the neck on each side, and a white patch upon either cheek; the tail is brownish grey, with white markings; the feet and the legs are lead-coloured: so there is much harmony of colour, but producing no very striking effect. Like the other Tits, Master Coley feeds chiefly on insects, taking a turn at vegetable food when these cannot be readily obtained; he is fond of the seeds of all kinds of pine and fir trees, and is said by the German naturalist Bechstein to lay up in summer a store of these for winter use, imitating in this respect the foresight of the industrious ant. THE CRESTED TIT, (JParus cristatus.} PLATE I. FIGURE IV. THIS beautiful little bird is found in almost every part of the con- tinent of Europe, even the coldest; with us it is very rare, residing chiefly in the northern parts of the island, where there are pine forests, in which it loves to hide, being a bird of secluded habits; no specimen has yet been observed in Ireland. It is what may be called a partial migrant, that is, it does not come to us from over the sea at one time of the year, and leave us at another, but it migrates at pretty regular times from one part of the country to another. They are more sociable 12 THE SMALLER URITISH BIRDS. than the Tits generally, keeping together in small flocks. In their movements they resemble the Blue Tit, and in their note the Cole Tit, only that it has a peculiar quaver at the end, which has been likened to a word spelled thus — gkir-r-r-kee. One of the loveliest and tiniest of British birds is this, the male weighing only about a quarter of an ounce, and being in length but little more than four inches, it is also one of the least known on account of its shyness ; a close observer, if he is only quiet and cautious in his approach, may see it busily engaged in its favourite pursuit among the pines, as other Tits are among the less thick and gloomy trees. Up and down, round and round, tail up, and head down, or in a more natural position, uttering his chirp or shorter cry, and erecting or depressing his conical crest of shining black feathers, edged with white, which looks, when it stands up, like a little Scotch cap, and gives the wearer a peculiarly pert appearance. The eggs of this bird are from seven to ten in number, spotted and speckled with light purplish spots, on a white ground. In its nesting habits it does not differ from the other Tits, choosing almost any hollow place that may be convenient; sometimes, it is said, hewing out for itself a hole in a decayed tree ; that any of the Tits do this has been denied, but the authority of Selby and others, who have witnessed the operation, is sufficient to settle the question. THE MARSH TIT, (Parus palustris.) PLATE I. — FIGURE V. THIS bird, although a frequenter of marshy ground, is by no means confined to such; it may be found in wooded and cultivated districts, and amid hills, as well as on salt meadows and marshes near the sea. The margins of streams and ponds, and other places where there is a good growth of reeds or underwood, it seems to prefer, and is not often seen in hedgerows near to public roads. It is not a very common species, although it may be occasionally met with in every English county, as well as all over Scotland, except in the extreme north, and also in Ireland, where, however, it is very unfrequent. It is a constant resident in almost every country in Europe, and has been found in North America, and the northern parts of Asia. TITS, OR TITMICE. 13 It flies quickly, with an undnlatory or wave-like motion, and seems to be scarcely ever at rest, throwing itself into all sorts of grotesque attitudes, as though it hardly knew how to express its joy, and making the woods ring again with its che-chee, che-chee; chica-chica-vhee ; tzit, tzit, tzit, dea-dee; witzee; the last many times and rapidly repeated. Then it chatters and chirps, and utters a shrill cheep, and sometimes a sharp metallic twink, which is heard even in winter. At this latter season the Marsh Tits become somewhat gregarious, going about in small flocks, which, as spring approaches, pair off, and begin to look out for a nesting place. The pairs are said sometimes to remain attached for life, and to exhibit great affection for each other, the male bird frequently feeding the sitting female. If one is caught in a trap, the other will, if possible, visit the prisoner, and so gets captured also. They are very tender and watchful over their young, as all the Tits are, using almost incredible exertion and care in obtaining them a sufficiency of food; this of course is entirely insects, and the old birds feed on these as much as they can; when this fails, seeds, grain, young plants, and even carrion. The nest of this species appears to be somewhat more carefully made than that of the Tits generally; it is formed of moss, wood, grass, willow catkins, wool, horse hair, or any other soft substance obtainable; it is placed in the hollow of a tree, sometimes specially made by the bird for the purpose, — so it is stated by Montagu, who has seen the little carpenter at work, and noticed that he carried his chips some distance from the tree, that they might not betray the whereabout of its nest; if this be true, it seems to indicate the possession of a reasoning power, altogether beyond mere instinct. The eggs of this species vary in number from five to nine, sometimes, though rarely, exceeding that number. They are almost round in shape, of a dull white colour, with red spots, plentiful at the thickest end, and almost or quite absent at the thinnest. Towards the end of July the young brood is ready for flight. About three drachms is generally the weight of the male bird, the length about four inches and a half. The plumage is prettily diversified, although not so gay as that of the Blue Tit; it is composed of brown, black, and white, with the intermediate shades of grey, and tinges of green and yellow. As with the other Tits, and indeed with most of our smaller birds, the female differs from the male in having the colours of the plumage more sobered and subdued, the blacks being less glossy and decided, and greys and browns predominating. 14 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. THE LONG-TAILED TIT, (Parus caudal us.) PLATE I. PIODRE VI. NEVER surely did a pretty little bird have such a variety of odd and ugly names bestowed upon it. We can understand what is meant by the Long-tailed Titmouse, Pie, and Mag, because the bird has a long tail, and is a chatterer, and therefore may be likened to the Pie, or Magpie; we know what is meant by Bottle-Tit and Bottle-Tom — it makes a bottle-shaped nest ; Long Tom and Long Pod may have reference either to the nest or the tail; but why Mum-Ruffin, why Poke-Pudding, why Huck-Muck, and why Mufflin ? One catches a glimpse of meaning in the last name — the bird covers and muffles up its young in a large bottle-shaped nest, that has its opening at the side ; this nest too may by country people be likened to a pudding, into which the bird is poked ; there is a reason for another name ; but the rest are as inexplicable as they are comical. But the most wonderful name of all is that by which, we are told, the bird was known to the Ancient Britons — Y Benloyn Gnyffonhir. Will some of our Welsh friends favour us with a translation of this ? Nearly all the Tits are distributed pretty well throughout Europe, and this is no exception to the rule ; it is found through a wide range of temperature, from Siberia to Italy. In Asia, also, and the West Indies, it is an inhabitant, so that it is at home in three quarters of the globe, and may be in four. It is common in this country almost everywhere, frequenting the wooded districts chiefly, where there are plantations, thickets, shrubberies, and tall hedges, there you will be pretty sure to find Tom with the long tail, and this is the case in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, as well as England. And what is he like, this ubiquitous Tom Tit? Well, he is not a gay bird as to colour, but a very pretty bird for all that; his plumage is soft and downy, and is much puffed out, so that he looks larger than he really is, his whole weight being not above two drachms, so that he might be sent in a letter for a penny stamp, if it were not for the danger of his getting smothered and crushed. Black, and white, and brown, flushed at places with a rich red, are the chief colours of his plumage; these colours fade one into the TITS, OR TITMICE. 15 other, and mingle so as to produce all sorts of intermediate tints, and produce a very harmonious effect on the whole. The body of the bird is not larger than that of most other Tits, not so long as some, but its whole length including the tail is about five inches and a half, the tail being at least three inches long; being chiefly black and white, it somewhat resembles that of the Magpie, hence the names Mag and Pye, sometimes applied to the bird. Nothing can be more beautiful and interesting than the motions of this indefatigable insect-hunter; its habits resemble those of the rest of the family, than any of which it is if possible more lively and active; from the very first peep of day until sunset, it is incessantly in motion, searching here, there, and everywhere about the trees, for food, and flying with extended tail from one spot to another. "How pleasant it is," says the Scottish naturalist, Macgillivray, "to gaze upon these little creatures skimming along the tops of the tall trees by the margin of the brook, ever in motion, searching the twigs with care, and chirping their shrill notes as they scamper away one after another.'" "In flying as they do from tree to tree," says Morris, "in an irregular string, they have a singular appearance; they seem so light, and as it were overburdened by the length of their tails, that but a moderate gust might be thought to be too much for them." Meyer says — "Constantly in motion from tree to tree, and flying in a straight line with much rapidity, they remind the spectator of a pictorial representation of a flight of arrows." "Away," says Knapp, "they all scuttle to be first, stop for a second, and then are away again, observing the same order, and precipitation the whole day long." This bird has not so sharp and shrill a note as most of its relatives, all its utterances are soft and pleasing, its twit, twit, and churr, churr, have an inward kind of sound, as if the bird were talking to itself, some- times its te-te, tse re-re and zit, zit, have almost the melody of a song. But it is in nest building that our long-tailed friend excels most ; no Tit comes near him in that, nor indeed many other birds; it is a most elaborate structure, from five to seven inches long, by three or four wide, presenting in shape the rude outline of a bottle with a short neck; the entrance is at the side, and is so small, that one wonders how the parent birds get in and out, and especially how they manage to stow away their tails. Some of the nests have two apertures, on opposite sides, and out of one a tail has been observed sticking, and out of the other a head, presenting a most absurd appearance. But all the nests have not two openings, although all the birds have long tails, and this is a mystery which we cannot pretend to explain: probably, as the Tits go in head first, they leave their 16 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. tails projecting from the door, or they may have some cunning method of doubling them up, and sitting upon them, like an elastic cushion. The nest itself is really a wonderful structure, no wonder it takes a fortnight to build; it is composed of moss, mingled with which are small fragments of bark and wool, bound together by spiders' webs, and the silk-like filaments which surround the chrysa- lides of some kinds of moths; the lining is generally of feathers, which also form part of the whole nest, which sometimes looks as if it were altogether made of this material, hence the name of Feather- poke, sometimes applied both to the bird and nest by country people : often the latter is very elegant, on account of the coloured lichens with which it is adorned, and generally it very closely resembles in its tints the tree on which it is built, so as to escape observation. It looks likes a mossy excrescence between the branches, where it is usually fixed so firmly by the glutinous cobweb as not to be easily removed. Both birds assist in the making of the nest, carefully working in the materials, and kneading them together with their breasts and shoulders, assuming every variety of attitude to effect their object. Two thousand three hundred and seventy-nine feathers have been counted in one of these nests, which although loose, and often somewhat ragged in appearance, are in reality very firm and compact; they are perfectly water-tight. The eggs are generally about twelve in number, not much bigger than a pea, sometimes entirely white, but generally having faint red spots scattered sparely over the larger end. The same nest is used by one pair of the birds year after year, and is often patched and repaired, to fit it for continued occupation; sometimes the fresh materials are quite different from those formerly used, then we are reminded of the piece of new cloth sewn into the old garment. The young birds are generally fledged about the end of June, and do not get their full-dress suit until November. THE BEARDED TIT, (Parus barbatus.} PLATE I. FIGURE VII. THE Bearded Titmouse, or Pinnock, the Least Butcher Bird, and the Heed Pheasant, are the various names applied to this species, TITS, OR TITMICE. 17 which is a native of Europe, being abundant in Holland, France, and [taly; it is also found in Asia, on the borders of the Black and Caspian Seas, and many other places. It is known in many of the English counties, but only as a rare bird; no specimen has been taken in Scotland, and only one in Ireland. It delights in marshy situations, where there are plenty of reeds, among which it feeds upon seeds and insects. It is very quick and active, like the other mem- bers of its family, climbing up to the tops of the reeds, and dropping to the roots if disturbed, and then creeping up again in that stealthy mouse-like manner which all the Tits have, and on which account they have probably been called Titmice. Their flight is in general only sufficiently high to clear the summits of the reeds, out of the shelter of which they do not often venture, except in winter, when they take a wider range, generally in small flocks of two or three families. A very pretty and graphic picture of their habits is given by a contributor to Loudon's "Magazine of Natural History;" he had been observing the motions of a flock of them, and says: — "They were just topping the reeds in their flight, and uttering in full chorus their sweetly musical note; it may be compared to the music of very small cymbals, is clear an'd ringing, though soft, and corresponds well with the delicacy and beauty of the form and colour of the birds. Several flocks were seen during the morning. Their flight was short and low, only sufficient to clear the reeds, on the seedy tops of which they alight to feed, hanging like most of their tribe with the head or back downwards. If disturbed, they immediately descend by running, or rather by dropping. Their movement is rapid along the stalks at the bottom, where they creep and flit, perfectly concealed from view by the closeness of the covert and the resembling tints of their plumage." These tints we may here add, are chiefly fawn and delicate grey, lighted up with yellow gleams, and flushes of pink and salmon-colour, shaded with orange brown and black, and relieved with white edgings and markings — a very beautiful combination of tints. This is the Bearded Tit remember; he has no silky crest, like his brother cristaius, but he has a jet black moustache extending from his orange-coloured bill along between it and the eye; these black feathers he can swell out when excited so as to look very fierce, but he is really nothing of the sort, only a timid little creature, that hides away as much as it can, and would much rather fly than fight at any time. It makes its nest, generally towards the end of April, in mild seasons sometimes earlier, of dry stalks and blossoms of grass, reeds, and sedges, on the ground amid grass tufts, and the coarse J8 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. vegetation of the marshes, being the only one of our British Tits that is known as a rule to build on the ground. The eggs are from four to six, rarely more, in number, pinkish white in colour, speckled, spotted, and streaked with purplish brown. This bird like the Mufflin, has a long tail, making the whole length of the male six inches. The female is somewhat shorter, and has a white moustache. TITS IN CONFINEMENT. THE members of this family are recommended to those who keep cage and aviary birds, by their beauty, activity, and cheerfulness, but they are unsafe birds to turn loose with others, as they are apt to be quarrelsome, and have an unpleasant way of pecking holes, not in the characters of their fellow-prisoners, but in their heads, and sucking out their brains. The Oxeye and the Blue Tit only seem to have this cannibal propensity, and they do not often exhibit it, never perhaps unless pressed by hunger; but after' having once done it, the murderer becomes dangerous, being very likely to repeat the act, for sheer love of the newly-tasted food. Bird-sellers say that only the Oxeyes which have forked tails are likely to do so, but this assertion may be questioned, what connection there can be between the shape of the tail and a penchant for brains we cannot understand. The larger Tits then, if kept at all, should be put into cages by them- selves; a pair in a cage is best, and it should be of a bell shape, tolerably large, with a round cavity made for a nesting place, as they do not fancy sleeping on an open perch, and are apt to be restless unless covered in. The liveliness of all Tits renders them very agreeable companions, and in confinement their notes are not so shrill and harsh as they generally are when at liberty. If taken quite young, and placed near good songsters, they will frequently exhibit a power of sustained and melodious song, which one would hardly expect. Bechstein, the great German authority on cage birds, says of the Oxeye that "it has a varied and exceedingly melodious song/' and that "even when taken and confined when old, it evinces a readiness to adopt the songs and the call-notes of other birds;" and, as a proof of its dexterity, states that it may be taught to perform a variety of tricks, such as drawing up food and water by a chain, etc. Of the Cole Tit in confinement Plate 1. Great. 5. Mar-sh TITS, OR TITMICE. Blue. 3. Cole. 4. Crested 6. Long-tailed. ?. Bearded. TITS, OR TITMICE. 19 he says that "it is an engaging and amusing bird, always in motion, bold, lively, never ceasing to hop and flutter;" of the Blue Tit that "it is recommended by its beauty and lively disposition/' and that "it soon becomes tame/' According to the same authority the "song of the Marsh Tit, though weak, is agreeable;" he styles this a handsome bird, which he has never been able to keep longer than two or three years. It will be seen by the above that Bechstein only mentions four out of the seven species which are here described; probably these were all that were known to him as cage birds, and so came within the scope of his subject. Other members of the group have, however, been kept in confinement, and proved as interesting and agreeable as their better-known relatives. In Bonn's edition of Bechstein, which has much additional matter compiled by the author of the present work, is quoted an anecdote from Knapp's "Journal of a Naturalist," which may be fitly introduced here: — "I was lately exceedingly pleased on witnessing the maternal care and intelligence of this bird (the Blue Tit;) the poor thing had its young ones in the hole of a wall, and the nest had been nearly all drawn out of the crevice by the paw of a cat, and part of the brood devoured. In revisiting its family the bird discovered a portion of it remaining, though wrapped up and hidden in the tangled moss and feathers of their bed, and it then drew the whole of the nest into the place from whence it had been taken, unravelled and resettled the remaining little ones, fed them with the usual attention, and finally succeeded in rearing them. The parents of even this reduced family laboured with great perseverance to supply their wants, bringing them a grub, caterpillar, or other insect, at intervals of less than a minute during the day." All the Tits, being chiefly insectivorous birds, should have a large proportion of that kind of food, especially when first taken, to reconcile them to confinement. Ants' eggs, meal-worms, small cater- pillars, maggots, and anything of that kind that can be procured should be given to them freely. All seeds, and especially those of the sun-flower, they are fond of, oats and other grain, fir and pine cones, nuts, with occasionally a little green food, and small shreds ol meat when insects cannot be procured, is the best diet for them They will generally eat the Universal Paste. A frequent change ot food is good for them, and plenty of water to drink and bathe in. Their principal diseases are gout, and decline, and giddiness; the two former are said to arise from an immoderate use of the same kind 20 THE SMALLI'I! IIRITISII 11IRDS. of food, — fresh ants' eggs and a change of diet, restricted in quantity, are the remedies: for the latter, confinement in a small cage for a time, where the bird cannot turn round and over, and be so exces- sively active as usual. v