MLYTH ON BRITISH TITS. 267 



expressly says, that " like the greater Titmouse, it will also attack other 

 small birds, sometimes killing them in a similar manner." This un- 

 accountable diversity, in the nature of different animals of the same 

 species, shows how cautious we should be in drawing conclusions from 

 the observation of a single individual. 



Few persons are aware that the Tits ever attempt to sing. The 



Marsh Tit is, I think, the most musical, and I have heard some notes 



from this species which were exceedingly soft and pleasing : he usually 



commences with a long squeaking preamble, and finishes with a few 



remarkably sweet and musical notes ; I have heard a very similar song 



from the robin : sometimes he begins with tsep, tsep, tsep, repeated 



several times in rapid succession, and concludes with a mellow soft 



song. The common chirp of the Marsh Tit may be expressed by the 



sound tiss-ylp ; and sometimes a very loud hrveet is uttered nine or ten 



times in quick succession. He has also a loud and remarkable note of 



alarm, beginning shrill, and ending like the chatter of a magpie : this 



he litters whenever he perceives an owl, a cat, a weasel, or any other 



object of distrust ; and it is amazing how quick all the Tits are in 



spying out an enemy. I have often heard the various Tits that I have 



kept together in confinement, all set up their alarm notes when I have 



been for some time quite at a loss to find out the cause ; and at length, 



perhaps, discovered that a cat was quietly sitting on the top of some 



distant house : the appearance of a boy with a monkey, at the distance 



of at least fifty yards, once caused them all to utter their notes of alarm; 



and at another time, when my attention was aroused by their repeated 



cries, I could perceive nothing but one outstretched paw of a sleeping 



cat, about an inch of which only was visible. I have heard the Cole 



Tit make some very tolerable attempts at song, and this species will 



sometimes sit for half an hour together, uttering a shrill monotonous 



sree, sree, sree, more like the noise of some insect than the note of a 



bird. The common call-note of the Cole Tit may be expressed by 



peet-chy, peet-chy, peet-chy-tvee, sometimes pronounced quick, and 



sometimes very slowly. Peet-chy is often repeated a dozen times in 



succession, and always very distinct. It has also a call resembling 



churrvee, churrvee, chnrivee. The Cole Tit has a greater variety of 



notes than the Marsh Tit, and one of them is not unlike the sharp veet, 



veet of the chaffinch. The Blue Tit's song is monotonous, but very 



musical and soft ; it resembles the tingling ringing note of the Bottle 



Tit : this species also has a considerable variety of calls, many of which 



are very similar to those of the Ox-eye ; like that bird and the Cole Tit, 



