EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 213 



THE CEESTED TIT. 

 (Parus crista tus.)* 



Plate 53, Fig. 18. 



The Crested Tit is one of the most local of our indigenous 

 birds. Its only known breeding-grounds in the British Islands 

 are in Scotland, in the valley of the Spey and in the adjoining 

 counties of Ross and Inverness on the west, and Aberdeen on the 

 east. The Crested Tit is much commoner and less local on the 

 Continent, being a resident in most of the pine-forests, though 

 it does not appear to range further north than lat. 64°, whence 

 Meves records it. 



The Crested Tit generally builds its nest in a hole in a tree, 

 and usually at no very great height from the ground. The nest 

 is put together in a somewhat slovenly fashion, and made of dry 

 grass, moss, wool, feathers, and very often the fur of the " Blue 

 Hare" thickly felted together. 



The eggs of the Crested Tit are from four to six or seven in 

 number, and differ considerably in the amount and distribution 

 of the markings. They are pure white in ground-colour, some 

 specimens being spotted and speckled over the whole surface 

 with brownish-red, others with the markings in a confluent zone 

 round the end. In some specimens this band is increased into an 

 irregular patch, which almost conceals the ground-colour of the 

 large end of the egg ; whilst in others the spots are very rich and 

 bold, forming bands of colour round the egg. The colour of the 

 spots is also subject to variation ; and usually those eggs which 

 are evenly and minutely marked have the spots darker red than 

 those specimens in which the markings are larger. Clutches are 

 sometimes obtained in which the spots are almost absent, or dis- 

 played on one of the eggs only ; but as a rule the eggs of the 

 Crested Tit are more richly and boldly spotted than those of its 

 allies. They measure from 0'7 to 0'6 inch in length, and from 

 0'55 to 0'47 inch in breadth. 



* Lophophanes cristatus — Sharpe, Handb., I., p. 143. 



