1854. F. E. Smedley, Harry Coverdale, ch. xxiii. In the meantime,
Harry and the Colonel were blazing away at the long-tails most
unmercifully.
1871. Standard, 6 Nov. The period of the year at which we have now
arrived is quite as important as the advent of the month sounding
the note of war against the ‘birds,’ or initiating the campaign
against the long-tails.