198 



spots at the big end, and are found about May 20—26 in E. Siberia. While laying 

 is in progress the hen covers the eggs when leaving them, and sits as closely as 

 other Pari. Average measurements of 15 eggs (5 by Dybowski, 5 by Rey, 2 by 

 Hartert and 3 by the writer), 16 X 11-84 mm.. Max. 18.5 X 12.5, Min. 15.1 X 12 and 

 15.5 X 11 ™ni- Average weight of 5 eggs, 74 mg. (Rey). 



92. Coal Tit, Parus ater L. 



Geographical Races. 



a. British Coal Tit, P. ater britannicns Sh. & Dress. 



Eggs: Hewitson, I Ed. I, pi. LXXXI, fig. 3; II Ed. I, pi. XXXI, 

 fig. 4; III Ed. I, pi. XXXIX, fig. 4. Seebohm, Br. Birds, pi. 9; id 

 Col. Fig. pi. 53. Frohawk, Br. Birds, I, pi. Ill, fig. 73—75. Dresser, 

 pi. — , fig. 31-34. 



Local Names: Little Blackcap, Coalhood, Oround Tit. Welsh: 

 Penloyn. 



Parus ater L. Newton, ed. Yarrell, I, p. 489; Saunders, Man. p. 105. 

 P. britannicns Sh. & Dr. Dresser, Birds of Europe, III, p. 93; id. Man. 

 Pal. Birds, p. 165. P. ater britannicns Sh. & Dr. Hartert, Vog. Pal. 

 Fauna, 357. 



Breeding Range: British Isles*, but absent from the Orkneys, 

 Shetlands, and Outer Hebrides. 

 British ^^^ earlier writers on British ornithology describe this species as 



Isles, rarer than the Marsh Tit, but at the present time it is in most districts 

 the commoner of the two, and in some parts of Scotland and Ireland 

 quite outnumbers the other Tits. Probably this is due to the increase 

 in plantations of conifers, which have a special attraction for this bird. 

 It breeds in every county in England, and though somewhat local, is 

 on the whole common throughout Scotland as far as Sutherland, but 

 is rare in Caithness. On the W. coast it is common on Raasay and in 

 the woods of Skye, and is found on the better wooded islands of the 

 Inner Hebrides, Eigg, Mull, Jura, etc., but not in the Outer Hebrides. 

 It occurs in the Isle of Man. and is common in Ireland, breeding, according 

 to Ussher, in every county. 

 Nest. Generally a hole in a tree or stump is chosen within a short dis- 



tance of the ground; sometimes in a mouse or mole run at the foot of 

 some decayed old root, descending to a depth of one or even two feet 

 below the ground level, or in a bank side. It is also said to have been 

 found in a rabbit hole, and on two occasions I have found nests in holes 

 in the steep banks of gravel pits and once in a fissure of rock. Harvie 



* Birds from the Spey Valley and the N. of Scotland show a tendency to 

 approach the Continental form. 



