52. 



PERCHIN'G BIRDS 



HE ROWLAND WARD STUDiQS 



Hens are somewhat less bright than cocks, and young birds show a 



tinge of yellow on the 

 checks. 



Ranging in western 

 Europe from the Medi- 

 terranean to the Arctic 

 Circle, the great titmouse 

 extends across Asia 

 north of the Himalaya 

 to the Pacific. In the 

 United Kingdom it is to 

 be met with everywhere 

 except the northern 

 islands of Scotland, to 

 which it is only an 

 occasional straggler. 

 The eggs, usually from 

 five to nine in number, 

 are larger and more 

 thickly dotted with ruf- 

 ous than those of the 

 blue titmouse. 

 The Ikitish great titmouse is distinguishable from Pdr/is uuxjor 



/j/>/r//,s- of continental Europe by its stouter 



and more powerful beak ; certain alleged 



differences in colour not being constant. 



It has been named Par us major )icii'totii. 



The coal -titmouse, of 

 Coal-Titmouse ... , ,, . . , 



which the British repre- 

 (Parus ater). . , 



sentative may perhaps 



be allowed to rank as a distinct race 



{Pants atcr hritanuicus), although certainly 



not as a species, measures about ^\ inches 



in length, and may be recognised at a 



glance by the glossy blue-black crown, 



na[)e, throat, and breast, and a white spot 



on the back of the neck ; the sides of the 



head and neck, as well as the breast, are 



dull white ; the back is grey, passing into c..a..-t.tm.,is,.. (im.kk slkiac: 



brownish towards the tail ; and the wings arc marked by a double 



CKKAT TLTMorSK. 



