Birds of Britain 



and feathers, and the eggs, eight to ten in number, are white 

 speckled with brown, much resembling those of other Tits. 



The young are fed entirely on insects, and after leaving 

 the nest wander about in family parties, gradually scattering 

 over the country, but seldom becoming so familiar in the 

 haunts of man and vicinity of towns as the Blue Tit. 



The sexes are alike. The head, neck, and upper breast 

 are a glossy blue black ; the cheeks and a nuchal spot white ; 

 back grey, browner on the rump ; wing coverts tipped with 

 white to form two bars. Breast whitish, passing to pale 

 brown on the flanks and belly. Length 4*25 in.; wing 

 2-4 in. 



The young lack the gloss on the head, and the white 

 cheeks and nape are tinged with yellow. 



This species may readily be distinguished from the 

 Marsh Tit by the white nuchal spot. 



THE MARSH TIT 



Parus palustris, Linnaeus 



This bird is the rarest of our common species of Tits, 

 although in some places it outnumbers the Coal. In habits 

 it is very similar to its congeners, but is perhaps more 

 partial to young alder and willow plantations than some of 

 the others. Its name would lead us to suspect that it 

 especially frequents marshy spots, but this is not the case. 

 It chooses for its nesting-site a hole in some decayed stump 

 which it not infrequently hews out for itself, and the nest 



78 



