ICO MARSH-TITMOUSE. 



north of lat. 6i°, Northern Russia, the Alps and the Carpathians, 

 the Continental form itself is represented by a larger and still greyer 

 sub-species or race, P. borcalis, variations of which are found across 

 Asia to Japan. The typical form is distributed throughout Central 

 and most of Western Europe down to the Pyrenees ; but in Por- 

 tugal it has not yet been identified ; in Spain, I only observed it 

 at Granada and Cordova ; it is rare in Southern Italy, and uncom- 

 mon in Greece. In the latter, as well as in the rest of South- 

 eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Northern Persia, it is mainly 

 replaced by P. lugubris^ a larger, heavy-billed bird, with a dark 

 brown head. 



The Marsh-Titmouse makes its nest in holes in trees — especially 

 willows and alders — in decayed stumps near the ground, or behind 

 loose bark, or in burrows made by rats and mice in banks. The bird 

 has been observed to hew out its own abode, carefully removing in its 

 bill the chips of wood that would otherwise betray the site, and 

 it leaves a very narrow entrance, although the hole is often of con- 

 siderable size inside. The nest itself is composed of moss, wool, 

 rabbits' fur and hair felted together, and is often lined with willow- 

 down ; the eggs, 5-8, are white, spotted with dull red — almost liver- 

 colour : average measurements •61 by "47 in. The call-note is a 

 rapidly uttered tay, tay, fay, fay ; the song being a simple sis, sis. sis, 

 see. The food consists largely of insects, in pursuit of which the 

 bird has been seen to thrust its bill under the scales of the rough 

 bark of a Scotch fir, and to prize them off with a forcible jerk ; in 

 the autumn and winter however, seeds — especially those of the sun- 

 flower — beech-mast and berries are consumed ; the bird holding 

 them in its claw like a parrot, while getting out the edible parts. Its 

 habits during the breeding-season are more retiring than those of 

 other Tits. 



Adult : upper part of head and nape glossy black ; cheeks dull 

 white, turning to buff on the sides of the neck ; back olive-brown, 

 inclining to grey in Continental specimens ; rump rather browner 

 olive ; quills and tail ash-brown with the outer margins paler ; chin 

 and throat black ; remaining under parts dull white, turning to buff 

 on the flanks; bill black; legs and feet lead-colour. Length 4-4 in.; 

 wing to the tips of the 4th, 5th, and longest quills 2*5 in. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage ; in the young the colours are duller and more 

 olive-brown. 



