Part 45

"The mode of proceeding in the construction of one of these nests," continues the same writer, "is as follows:--First of all the bird begins by winding a quantity of wool, goats' hair, bast, or hempen thread, around the selected twig, at a part where it becomes forked, and between the forks are laid the foundations of the walls of the nest, which thus becomes securely fixed; from this basis a sort of felt-work is prolonged into the shape of a shallow basket, in which condition it was formerly thought to be a supernumerary nest, constructed for the accommodation of the male bird. As, however, the work proceeds, the walls are still further produced by an accumulation of fitting materials, which now consist of down collected from poplar and willow trees, interwoven with threads of bast, wool, and hair, while the fibres of vegetable cotton are glued and matted together by the aid of saliva supplied by the birds themselves. The structure now presents the appearance of a basket with thick rounded walls, and the next part of the process is to construct the side entrance, which terminates in a small round hole, while the other side also has a passage from below; the one with the round opening is now provided with a tube of from one to three inches long, while the other remains open, and only felted and smoothed down at the edges; lastly, the bottom of the inside of the nest is thickly carpeted with loose unrolled vegetable wool, and the structure is at length completed. The nest now appears a round ball or bag, from six to eight inches in depth, and from four to five in width, with a round entrance like the neck of a bottle, which at first bending down soon stands out horizontally towards the entrance, which is circular, and provided with a slightly thickened margin."

"It is impossible to confound such a nest with that of any other bird, and, therefore, we are quite assured that the Bottle Tit has repeatedly made its nest in Germany, where deserted nests are frequently found in winter by men employed in clearing away the reeds in various localities."

The eggs, according to Baldamus, are usually seven in number, and have a smooth, delicate, pure white shell, which, owing to its transparency, appears pale red until it is emptied of its contents. We are told, on good authority, that both parents assist in the process of incubation. The young are reared principally upon small caterpillars, flies, and beetles.

* * * * *

The REED TITMICE (_Panurus_) are distinguishable by their slender body, long and much graduated tail, moderate-sized wings, in which the fourth and fifth quills exceed the rest in length, and their short, much-curved beak. The plumage is comparatively smooth and compact, but varies according to the age or sex of the bird.

THE BEARDED TITMOUSE.

The BEARDED TITMOUSE (_Panurus biarmicus_) is light cinnamon brown on the upper part of the body, greyish blue on the crown of the head, and light rose-red on the under side; the throat is whitish, the region of the tail black; the brown wings are decorated with a white stripe, and edged with a line of black. The chin of the male is covered with a beard-like tuft of soft black feathers, about nine inches long. The plumage of the female is paler; the back is of a light shade, darkly spotted; the lower tail-covers are pale rust-red, and the very slightly indicated beard white. The young are almost black upon the back. The length of this species is from six inches to six and a half, and its breadth from seven inches to seven and a half; the wing measures two inches and a half, and the tail three inches and a quarter.

The Bearded Titmouse is met with in all the north-eastern parts of Europe. In Great Britain it is but rarely seen; it is, however, comparatively numerous in Holland, South Hungary, Greece, and a portion of Asia Minor. Everywhere it seeks the reed-covered banks of rivers, and lives in pairs or in small families.

Dr. Leach was induced to separate this very interesting bird from the genus _Parus_ in consequence of its differing in several minor characters from the other species of that genus, particularly in the situation it affects as a place of abode and nidification, constructing a nest on or near the ground in wet and marshy places. "Its food," continues Mr. Gould, "is also very different, consisting of the seeds of reeds, with aquatic insects and minute-shelled snails, for the trituration of which it is provided with a strong muscular gizzard. It is more particularly abundant in the low and marshy districts of Holland, France, and Germany. Its disposition is timid, and its manners shy and retired, dwelling in situations both local and difficult of access, a circumstance which, until lately, has prevented naturalists from giving any details, especially of its peculiar habits." We are indebted to Mr. Hoy for the best account of this bird yet published, as given in the "Magazine of Natural History," (Vol. III., page 328), from which the following is extracted:--

"The borders," says. Mr. Hoy, "of the large pieces of water in Norfolk, called 'broads,' particularly Hickling and Horsey Broads, are the favourite places of resort of these birds; indeed, it is met with in that neighbourhood wherever there are reeds in any quantity, with fenny land adjoining. During the autumn and winter they are found dispersed generally in small parties throughout the whole length of the Suffolk coast, wherever there are large tracts of reeds. I have found them numerous in the breeding season on the skirts of Whittlesea, near Huntingdonshire, and they are not uncommon in the fenny districts of Lincolnshire; whether they are to be met with further north I have no means of ascertaining, but they do not appear to have been noticed north of the Humber. They begin building in the end of April. The nest is composed on the outside of the dead leaves of the reed and sedge, intermixed with a few pieces of grass, and invariably lined with the top of the reed, somewhat in the manner of the nest of the Reed Wren (_S. arundinacea_), but not so compact in the interior. It is generally placed in a tuft of coarse grass or rushes, near the ground, on the margin of the dykes in the fen; sometimes fixed among the reeds that are broken down, but never suspended between the stems. The eggs vary in number from four to six, rarely seven; they are pure white, sprinkled all over with small purplish red spots, intermixed with a few small faint lines and markings of the same colour--size about the same as that of the Greater Tit, but much more rounded and shorter. Their food during winter is principally the seed of the reeds, and so intent are they in searching for it, that I have taken them with a bird-lime twig attached to the end of a fishing-rod. When alarmed by any sudden noise, or the passing of a hawk, they utter their shrill musical notes, and conceal themselves among the thick bottom of the reeds, but soon resume their station, climbing the upright stems with the greatest facility. Their manners in feeding approach near to those of the Long-tailed Tit; they often hang with the head downwards, and occasionally assume the most beautiful attitudes. Their food is not entirely reed-seed, for they sometimes eat insects and their larvæ, and the very young shelled snails of different kinds, which are numerous in the bottom of the reedlings. I have been enabled to watch their motions whilst in search of insects, having, when there is a little wind stirring, been often within a few feet of them, quite unnoticed among the thick reeds. Were it not for their note betraying them, they would be seldom seen. The young, until their autumnal moult, vary in plumage from the old birds; a stripe of blackish feathers extends from the hind part of the neck to the rump. It has been said that the males and females keep separate during the winter, but I have always observed them in company; they appear to keep in families until the pairing time, in the manner of the Long-tailed Tit, differing in this respect, that you will occasionally find them congregated in large flocks, more particularly during the month of October, when they are migrating from their breeding-places." "To the above interesting account," says Mr. Gould, "we may add that they are to be met with occasionally on the banks of the Thames; from the thick reed-beds of Erith, in Kent, throughout the course of the river to Oxford; but their visits are by no means regular, or to be calculated on with accuracy."

A contributor to Mr. Loudon's magazine saw a flock of eight or ten of these beautiful little creatures on the wing, in a large piece of reeds near Barking Creek, Essex. "They were just topping the reeds in their flight, and uttering in full chorus their sweetly musical note, which may be compared to the sound of very small cymbals; it is clear and 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 same morning. Their flight was short and low, only sufficient to clear the reeds, on the seedy tops of which, like most of their tribe, they alighted to feed, with the head or back downwards. If disturbed, they immediately descend by running, or, rather, by dropping to the bottom of the stem, where they creep and flit, perfectly concealed from view by the closeness of the covert and the resembling tints of their plumage."

* * * * *

The LONG-TAILED TITS (_Orites_) have a short, compact body; long, graduated tail, incised at the centre of its extremity; moderate-sized wings, in which the fourth and fifth quills exceed the rest in length; a very short, much arched, and pointed beak; and delicate feet. The sexes are alike in colour, and the young differ but slightly from their parents.

THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE.

The LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE (_Orites caudatus_) is black on the centre of the back and white on the head; the under side is reddish white, and the wings black, their hinder quills being broadly bordered with white; the tail is black, the three outer feathers spotted with white. The young are pale black on the side of the head, back, and wings, and of a whitish hue on the top of the head and on the under side of the body. The eye is dark brown in the adults, its unfeathered margin is light red, in the young bright yellow. The beak and feet are black. This species is six inches long and seven inches and three-quarters broad; the wing measures two inches and a half, and the tail three inches and a half.

The Long-tailed Tit inhabits the whole of Europe, from its most northern countries as far south as the Pyrenees and Alps, but is met with comparatively rarely in Greece and Spain. Like some of its congeners, it prefers taking up its abode on fir and pine trees, but, if these are not attainable, usually frequents orchards or well-cultivated woodland districts; its habits are social, and its disposition, though equally lively and active, considerably more peaceful than that of most other members of its family. Both sexes utter a brisk chirping note, and the male at some seasons a faint twittering song. These birds destroy the smallest kinds of insects in enormous quantities, and thus render inestimable service to the farmer and gardener.

"The nest of this species," says Mudie, "has always been admired as a model of neatness and warmth. It is formed by patient and incessant labours of both birds for at least a month, if materials are abundant, and five or six weeks when the supply is more scanty. It is placed in the fork of a small mossy tree, or among the thick twigs of a shrub, often a hawthorn, sometimes an evergreen, seldom more than three or four feet from the ground, and generally within cover of the sprays. Its form resembles that of an egg placed on the broader end; in appearance and texture it is very like a short decayed stump, that has been coated over with lichens, and is as firm in texture as it is neat and regular in form. The main fabric is closely made of moss, taken in very small pieces, and matted together with animal fibre, rarely with wool--as the bird does not range so far from the bushes as to be much of a wool-gatherer--but principally with what may be called tree or bark silk, that is, the silken cocoons that cover the chrysalides of insects and the eggs of spiders. These materials are firmly interwoven, but, though the term is sometimes applied to them, they are not _felted_. The two materials form a stronger fabric than could be made of either of them singly. The moss gives bulk and stiffness, and the silky filaments cohesion; and, as the birds are microscopic in their vision, they have perfect command over their short bills, and apply these materials by very small portions at a time. The fabric is beautifully put together, and when there are twigs in the way the nest is so closely worked upon them that it cannot be removed entire unless they are taken along with it. Externally it is coated with lichens and liverworts, so closely worked in that not a bit falls off; the inside is carefully lined with feathers, the quills of which are worked into the fabric. The whole nest, dome and all, is lined in this manner, so that when finished it is secure against rain and change of temperature. The entrance is by an aperture in the side, towards the top of the structure, and there are in some instances two apertures, the one nearly opposite to the other, the feathers around which are so worked into the fabric as, when not pushed aside by the birds, to form a sort of curtain. The interior is usually of sufficient size to contain both birds during the night, and, in the case of there being two apertures, they sit with the head of the male out at the one and the tail of the female out at the other, so that both apertures are partially closed, and the male is ready to start out as soon as there is light enough for hunting." The first brood is produced by the end of April, and usually consists of from nine to twelve or occasionally fifteen eggs; these are very small, with delicate white shells, more or less spotted with pale red; many females lay eggs that are quite white. The young are hatched thirteen days after their birth, and during all that time the brooding mother must suffer considerable annoyance from the unwieldy size of her tail, which is generally kept twisted round in the most inconvenient manner: nor are the young more at their ease; at first, despite their numbers, they manage tolerably well, but as they increase in size each struggles for the warmest place, and pushes at his neighbour until the nest gives way, or is rent in such a manner that the troublesome tail can be thrust out and freer space obtained.

* * * * *

THE CRESTED TITS (_Lophophanes_) are distinguished by comparatively slender beaks and the pointed upright crest that adorns the head. India and America have species similar to those we are about to describe.

THE CRESTED TIT.

THE CRESTED TIT (_Lophophanes cristatus_) is mouse-coloured on the upper portion of the body, and greyish white on the under side; the slender graduated feathers that form the crest, the shafts of which incline forward, are black edged with white; the region of the cheek is white; a sickle-shaped stripe across the eyes is black, as is also a line commencing at the nape and extending to the tail; the quills and tail-feathers are dark greyish brown, with light edges. The eye is brown, the beak black, with pale margins, and the feet dirty light blue. The length of the body is five and its breadth eight inches; the female is somewhat smaller than her mate. The crest of the young birds is not quite so large, and the markings on their head more indistinct.

The Crested Tits are spread over Central Europe and North-western Asia, where they principally frequent fir and pine forests, remaining almost throughout the entire year in their native woods, only leaving their shelter for a short time in the spring and autumn. During the winter they associate freely with other species, and in their company fly about in search of food. The song of the male is chirping and insignificant, and during the breeding season is accompanied by a great variety of gesticulation, and a constant display of the crest that adorns his head. The nests are always placed in holes of trees, such as have a narrow entrance being preferred, and are situated at various heights from the ground, in some instances in the deserted dwellings of other birds or of squirrels; the exterior is formed of bits of moss, or some similar material, and lined with hair or wool of various kinds. The eggs, eight to ten in number, are small and delicate, and of snowy white, spotted with rust-red; both parents brood, and the young are hatched within a fortnight, and are reared on small caterpillars. As soon as they are able to support themselves, the old pair at once make preparations for a second family.

Although rare in Great Britain, this species is abundant in all the northern regions of Europe, frequenting places where juniper trees are plentiful; it is common in Germany and the Alpine districts, and is scarce in Holland.

Colonel Montague says, "It is not uncommon amongst the large tracts of pines in the north of Scotland, particularly in the forest of Glenmore, the property of the Duke of Gordon, from whence we have seen it," and Sir William Jardine states that "this bird has been found in some plantations not far distant from Glasgow, where it annually breeds."

It feeds on insects, berries, and the seeds of evergreens, and, according to M. Temminck, builds in holes in trees, or walls.

THE TOUPET TIT.

The TOUPET TIT (_Parus bicolor_) is remarkable by the tuft or toupet on its head. In this very pretty bird the sexes are so much alike as to be scarcely distinguishable; both may be described as having the forehead black, the sides of the head brownish black; all the upper surface uniform grey, under surface greyish white, tinged with yellowish brown on the flanks; bill black, irides dark brown, feet lead-colour.

There can be no doubt that the northern regions of America form the true habitat of this species; but as specimens have been undoubtedly killed in Russia, it may be classed among the occasional visitors to the European continent; nevertheless, it is exceedingly rare in Europe, and its presence is confined to the regions adjacent to the Arctic circle. In the works of Wilson and Audubon its manners are described as resembling those of other members of the genus. "It moves along the branches," says the latter, "searches in the chinks, flies to the end of the twigs, and hangs to them by its feet, whilst the bill is engaged in detaching a beech or hazel-nut, an acorn, or a chinquapin, upon all of which it feeds, removing them to a large branch, where, having secured them in a crevice, it holds them by both feet, and breaks the shell by repeated blows of its beak. It resorts to the margins of brooks to drink, and, when unable to do so, obtains water by stooping from the extremity of a twig overhanging the stream. It appears to prefer this latter method, and is also fond of drinking the drops of rain or dew, as they hang at the extremity of the branches." The same author also informs us that its notes, which are usually loud and mellow, are rather unmusical than otherwise; that it is somewhat vicious in its disposition, and occasionally attacks and destroys smaller birds by repeated blows on the head, until it breaks the skull.

The nest is constructed of all kinds of warm materials, and is generally placed in the holes formed by the Downy Woodpecker, or of other Woodpeckers, but it is occasionally placed in a hole dug by the bird itself for that purpose. The eggs, six or eight in number, are pure white, with a few red spots at the larger end.

* * * * *

The WOOD TITS (_Parus_) differ from the species above described by the unusual strength of their conical beak, which is compressed at its sides and pointed at its tip, and by their large, stout claws. The wings, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the rest in length, are short and broad; the tail is long, or of medium size, and either slightly rounded or incised at its extremity. The rich streaming plumage is often brilliantly coloured. The young resemble the mother; little diversity, however, is observable between the sexes.

THE GREAT TIT.

The GREAT TIT (_Parus major_) is olive green on the upper part of its body, and pale yellow beneath; the top of the head, the throat, a stripe that passes along the body, and another extending from the front of the throat to the back of the head, are black; the quills and tail are bluish grey, and the sides of the head and a stripe on the wings white. The eye is dark brown, the beak black, and the foot lead-grey. In the young all the tints are somewhat paler. This species is five inches and three-quarters long and nine inches broad; the wing measures two inches and three-quarters, and the tail two inches and a half. The female is a trifle smaller than her mate. This common Tit is found throughout Europe from sixty-five degrees north latitude (in the southern part it is comparatively rarer), and in the whole of Central Asia, and North-western Africa. Unlike the species above described, these birds have no especial predilection for forests, but constantly occupy woods, shrubberies, and gardens, and not unfrequently farm-yards, where they are found to grow very bold in their endeavours to obtain subsistence.

The summer food of the Great Tit consists of insects, together with the buds of trees and fruits, to these it adds the crumbs scattered from the cottage door, of whatever matters they chance to consist, whether animal or vegetable, its digestive powers being apparently adapted to great variety. On the approach of spring it becomes noisy and restless, betaking itself to the top branches of high trees, where it utters its harsh note for the day together; the note greatly resembles the noise made by filing a saw, or the creaking of a gate on rusty hinges. The song of this bird, which is composed of three distinct notes, would be agreeable were it not for the introduction of occasional harsh grating tones, as they hop nimbly about the branches in search of food. During the breeding season the performance is somewhat more pleasing, and the voice is in many respects not unlike that of the Chaffinch.