190 



The foundation of the nest consists chiefly of moss ^vith a few bents 

 and roots. On this is placed a thick layer of felted hair or rabbits' fur 

 and a depression is made in it, usually at one side and not in the middle, 

 in order to contain the eggs. While laying is in progress some of the 

 hair is pulled over the eggs and to a casual glance the nest looks un- 

 finished and empty. The bulk of the nest is very variable, depending 

 on the size of the cavity. Approximate diameter of cup 21 in., depth 

 It in. Montagu states that the eggs are sometimes laid on chips at 

 the bottom of a hole in a tree without any nest. 

 Eggs. The usual number of eggs varies from 7 to 11, but I have seen 



6 eggs much incubated, and have known of several instances of 12 and 

 13 eggs, while A. W. Johnson and S. Lewis have found nests with 14, 

 Coward records one Avith 15, and Bucknill one with 17, which latter 

 was probably the produce of two hens. Occasionally the eggs of some 

 other hole-breeding species, such as the Redstar,t, may be found in the 

 same nest, probably when the Tit has ejected the Redstart: and the two 

 species have also been known to breed side by side. The typical egg 

 is white, with very little gloss, marked sometimes sparingly and at other 

 times richly, with spots or small blotches, and a few fine speckles, of two 

 shades of reddish brown. Sometimes the underlying spots are almost 

 violet-brown in colour. A clutch of pure white eggs has been taken in 

 Hampshire. 



Breeding The Great Tit is a life paired bird, and by far the greater number 



of our residents only rear one brood in the year, as can easily be proved 

 by any one who will take the trouble to put up a good supply of nesting 

 boxes. Occasionally however, as in the case of some other birds, a 

 second brood is reared, but in one instance of the kind, where I had 

 the birds under observation, some, of not all, of the young of the first 

 brood were killed soon after leaving the nest. The first eggs are laid 

 about the end of April or the beginning of May, and fresh clutches may 

 be taken till about the end of the month, but the best time is about 

 the second or third week of May in the Midlands. When a second 

 brood is reared the eggs are laid in the latter half of June. An instance 

 of winter breeding is recorded in the Birds of Hampshire, p. 38. The 

 hen sits very closely and often refuses to leave the nest unless forcibly 

 removed, hissing, making a curious noise by the expulsion of air at 

 intervals, and using her sharp beak with effect. Incubation lasts 14 days 

 (W. Evans); 12—13 days (Steele-Elliott, Zool. 1900, p. 424). 



Measure- Avcrago of 100 Euglisli eggs measured by the writer, 17.98 X 13.51 



mm., Max. 20.5 X 13.4 and 17.8 X 14.7 ; Min. 16 X 12.6 and 18.5 X 12.5 

 mm. Average weight of 20 eggs, 104 mg. Average weight of 26 full 

 eggs, 1.677 g. (R. H. Read); of 8 eggs, 1.843 g. (N. H. Foster). 



Season. 



nients. 



