MARSH TIT. 841 



sionally visiting orcliards and gardens. The Marsh Tit, also, 

 like its generic companions, remains in this country through- 

 out the year ; is, like them, active and sprightly in its habits, 

 flitting from place to place, feeding on insects in their vari- 

 ous stages, is said to be an enemy to bees, and when in the 

 garden, may be frequently seen feeding on the seeds of the 

 sunflower ; is observed, also, to be partial to the seeds of the 

 thistle ; and in winter, according to Mr. Selby, it will eat 

 stale flesh. 



This bird makes its nest in holes in old willows, and in 

 the low scrubby stocks of pollard trees that have been headed 

 down, taking considerable pains in enlarging any suitable 

 cavity. Colonel Montagu says he has seen the Marsh Tit 

 excavating the decayed part of such trees, and artfully carry- 

 ing the chips in its bill to some distance, always working 

 downwards, and making the bottom for the reception of the 

 nest larger than the entrance. The nest is compactly formed 

 of moss and wool, lined with the soft seed-down of the wil- 

 low. The eggs are from five to eight in number, measuring 

 seven lines and a half in length, by six lines in breadth, 

 white, spotted with red. The female exhibits great attach- 

 ment to her nest, and is not easily induced to forsake it. 

 The call-note of this species is a single sharp chirp, like that 

 of the other Tits, and this bird is only to be distinguished 

 from them by its voice, when it puts forth a rapid succession 

 of notes, more remarkable for chattering gaiety than quality 

 of tone. 



The Great Tit, the Blue, the Cole, the Marsh, and the 

 Long-tailed Tit, next to be described, are each of them 

 common around London ; and when requiring additional 

 specimens for my use in this work, I found no difficulty in 

 obtaining pairs of each of them within a very short space of 

 time. A young ornithological friend of mine has given me 

 a list of birds observed by himself in Kensington Gardens, 



