THE CPlESTED tit. 



PARUS CRISTATUS. 



Feathers of the crown elongated and capaMe of being erected, black, edged with 

 white ; cheeks and sides of the neck white ; throat, collar, and a streak across 

 the temples black ; all the other iipper parts reddish brown ; lower parts 

 white, faintly tinged with red. Length four inches and three-quarters. Eggs 

 white, spotted with blood-red. 



"The Crested Tit," Montagu tells us, "is a solitary 

 retired species, inhabiting only gloomy forests, particularly 

 those which abound with evergreens." On the European 

 Continent it is found in Denmark, Sweden, Russia, 

 Switzerland, and some parts of Erance. In the large 

 pine tracts in the north of Scotland, it is said to be 

 not uncommon, and it is found also in the neighbourhood 

 of Glasgow, but has not been observed in England. Its 

 food consists of insects, berries of the juniper, and seeds 

 of evergreens. It builds its nest in hollow trees, or in 

 the deserted nests of squirrels and crows, and lays as 

 many as ten eggs. 



