THE COAL TITMOUSE 
in pairs. Its food consists chiefly of insects, larve, and small 
seeds. It has the usual Tit-like actions, restless and acro- 
batic, and frequently consorts with other Tits, Nuthatches, 
and Creepers, from which its loud, clear note of 1f-hee-1f- 
hee-if-hee serves instantly to distinguish it. In winter it 
often visits houses in the suburbs, and shares the suet or 
bone with the Blue Tit. It rears two broods in the year, 
layingin April and June. It appears to pair for life, and 
often returns regularly to one spot to breed. ‘The nest, a 
somewhat slovenly, loosely constructed cup of moss and 
dry grass, felted together with hair and lined with feathers, 
is placed in a hole of a tree or wall, in a pump, or even 
at times in the ground. ‘The six or eight eggs are white, 
spotted and freckled with red. 
The adult Coal Titmouse has the head and throat rich 
glossy black shot with blue, the cheeks and nape white, 
the remainder of the upper parts brown ; the wings and 
tail are greyish brown, the coverts of the former tipped 
with white, making a double bar across them ; the breast 
and remainder of the under parts are greyish white, shad- 
ing into brown on the flanks. Bill black; tarsi and toes 
lead-colour ; irides brown. Length 32 inches. The 
young resemble their parents, but the white parts are 
replaced by sulphur-yellow. 
Iil 
