376 Mr. J. H. Gurney on the 



Crested Titmouse. Parus cristatus. '^ Mesange huppee.'' 

 One in Valescure pinewoods [Pinus halepensis and P. maru 

 tima), April 2lstj flitting quite alone from fir to fir, and at 

 times dexterously clinging with its feet to the needles, some- 

 times back downwards. How seldom in England could one 

 see a Titmouse without companions of any kind, as it is one of 

 the most sociable of birds, and this is especially the case with 

 Parus cristatus [cf. Zool. 1890, p. 212). Miss Broadwood 

 also observed it at Valescure, but does not say whether it 

 was a single specimen that she saw, or a party. Risso classes 

 it as one of the six most productive species, in proportion to 

 its numbers, in this part of France, but it does not lay so 

 many eggs as P. caudatus. 



Blue Tit. Parus caruleus. 



Not nearly so common as P. major, which is very generally 

 distributed, and is also the most abundant iu the Departments 

 farther west. Our gardener described what he considered a 

 very marvellous nest, which may have been a Penduline Tit's, 

 a species which Duval- Jouve says is met with on the banks 

 of the Var ; it was woven of wool, with a hole at the bottom 

 and one at the top. Other Tits included by Jaubert are 

 Parus ater, P. palustris, P. caudatus, and P. biarmicus, which 

 last Mr. W. E. Clarke also met with. P. lugubris was taken 

 at Nice in February 1878 (Prof. Giglioli), thus coming 

 very near the Var ; and I have had P. borealis, the northern 

 Marsh Titmouse, from Piedmont. 



Wren. Troglodytes parvulus. 



The Wren and the Robin are winter visitants, but the 

 latter is much the commonest, though naturally less familiar 

 and tame than in England. Prof. Newton mentions an old 

 custom at La Ciotat of hunting the Wren with swords and 

 pistols, and when killed the victim is slung to a pole borne as if 

 it were a heavy load on the shoulders of two men who parade 

 tlie village, and afterwards weigh the bird in a pair of scales. 

 It would be interesting to know if the old custom still goes 

 on at this small town by the sea, especially as it is so similar 

 to the persecution of T. parvulus in Ireland. La Ciotat is 



