THE “MARSH TITMOUSE 
feeds upon much the same objects ; but its characteristic 
cry of tay-tay-tay will readily serve to identify it, in con- 
junction with the absence of a white nape. ‘The Marsh 
Titmouse appears to pair for life, and rears two broods in 
the season, the eggs for the first being laid in April, those 
for the second in June. A hole in a decayed stump or 
tree, sometimes in a gate-post, is usually selected, and in 
this a nest is made, cup-shaped, of dry grass, moss, wool, 
hair, and feathers, matted and felted together. ‘The six 
to ten eggs are white, spotted and freckled with brownish 
red. After the young are hatched the birds keep in 
family parties for some time at least, although the Marsh 
Titmouse is perhaps the least sociable of all the ‘Tits. 
The adult Marsh Titmouse has the crown of the head 
and the nape glossy black, the cheeks white, the remainder 
of the upper parts sandy brown, palest on the rump ; 
the wings and tail are brown. ‘The chin and upper 
throat are black flecked with greyish white, the remaining 
under surface greyish white, suffused with buff on the 
flanks and vent. Bill black; tarsi and toes lead-colour ; 
irides brown. Length 44 inches. The nestling closely 
resembles the parents in colour, but the black portions of 
the plumage are not so glossy, and the under surface is 
paler. 
