MARSH TIT. 59 



concealed by rotten leaves, and on opening this 

 up for a distance of about eighteen inches, found, at 

 the end, a nest with seven young Tits in it, just 

 hatched. An instance is recorded in the Zoologist 

 of a nest built on a window-sill in a box. The nest is 

 composed of moss, with a lining of hair or fur. 



The eggs, six to eight, are white spotted with light 

 red; some have a yellowish tinge. If anything they 

 are slightly smaller than the Blue Tit's, but so alike 

 are they that, if they were mixed together, it would be 

 impossible to separate them. It is another case of 

 noting carefully the bird. 



MARSH TIT. 



PARUS PALUSTRIS. 



Family Passerid^. Sub-family Parin.5. Genus Parus. 



Smaller Oxeye— Black Cap— Willow Biter. 



The Marsh Tit is another bird that lives w^ith us all 

 the year round. It is distributed all over Great 

 Britain, but is very rare in Ireland. It cannot be 

 considered as common a bird as the Coal Tit. Al- 

 though it frequents the trees and bushes by marshy 

 districts, it does not confine itself to these, but is 

 found in gardens and on trees in the driest soil. Its 

 habits are similar to the other Tits', and its food consists 

 chiefly of insects, though it is also fond of seeds, such 

 as sunflower, lettuce, spinach, etc. The Marsh Tit is 

 a cheerful and happy little creature, and although its 

 song can scarcely be called such, it makes an amusing 

 addition to the aviary. 



It is about the same size as the Blue Tit. Its 

 plumage is a dusky grey on the back, the head is 



