BRITAIN^ BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 295 



Family, PARID^ (Titmice). 



THE GREAT TIT 



(Parus major). 

 Plate 105. 



The Titmice, or more shortly the ' Tits,' constitute a very 

 famihar group of our commoner native birds. Four species 

 belonging to the typical genus are common enough to 

 be described, and a fifth member requires mention. All 

 of these are very similar in appearance, in nesting and 

 general habits, in the nature of their haunts, and, in fact, 

 in almost all respects. Now it is unusual to find closely 

 allied birds in competition ; if their lives run on the same 

 lines their interests are bound to clash, and we find one 

 flourishing to the exclusion of the rest. Therefore, when 

 we have to deal with two or more nearly related species 

 we naturally expect to find one of three things: (1) The 

 birds occupy different areas, frequently contiguous, per- 

 haps slightly overlapping, but not coincident ; the Pied 

 and White Wagtails, already described, are an excellent 

 case in point. (2) The species have coincident or widely 

 overlapping distributions, but are each confined to certain 

 types of ground within the common general area ; we 

 have already noticed this point in connection with our 

 three native Pipits. (3) The species inhabit the same area 

 and the same haunts, b 1; show divergence in their mode 

 of life ; and this is what we find in the genus Parus in 

 the British Isles, feeding habits being the variable factor. 



'The great Titmouse (Parus major),'' writes Dr Alfred 

 Russel Wallace, 'by its larger size and stronger bill is 

 adapted to feed on larger insects, and is even said some- 



