199 



Brown records one in a crack on a dry hill of peat by a burn in Suther- 

 land, and has seen others in the ground under fallen foliage etc. Holes 

 in stone or brick walls or stone faced banks are occasionally used, as 

 well as nesting boxes.* In fir woods where holes are scarce, the Coal 

 Tit has been known to excavate a hole in an old Magpie's or Squirrel's 

 nest (Nelson, Birds of Yorkshire, p. 110); and it has been recorded as 

 breeding in an old Thrush's nest {Zool. 1896, p. 375). F. Bond described 

 an abnormal nest, something like a Long-tailed Tit's, on a branch of a 

 fir tree, close to the bole {Zool. 1861, p. 7444) and similar cases have 

 been recorded of other species (Cf. Irby, Orn. Straits Oibraltar, 2 Ed. 

 p. 72, and Annals Scot. Nat. Hist. 1898, p. 180). The foundation of 

 the nest consists of moss, upon which is placed a thick layer of felted 

 wool and hair, generally rabbit's fur. As a rule no feathers are used, 

 but Borrer and others have found nests freely lined with feathers. Such 

 cases must havever be quite exceptional. 



The number of eggs is understated by most writers. The usual ^ggs. 

 clutch varies from 7 or 8 to 11, and sets of 9 — 10 are quite common, 

 while 13 have been found. Hancock (Cat. Birds Northumberland etc., 

 p. 76) mentions an instance where 21 were discovered in one nest, but 

 these were of two types and were almost certainly laid by two hens. 

 While laying is in progress the eggs are covered in the absence of the 

 hen bird. 



The first eggs are laid about April 20 in the S. of England, but Breeding 

 in the Midlands and North full clutches may be found after the first ^*'''°"- 

 week in May. The sitting bird behaves like the other Tits, hissing, 

 puffing, and sitting until lifted from the eggs. I think that only one 

 brood is reared as a rule. 



Average size of 100 English eggs, measured by the writer, 15x11.63 Measure- 

 mm., Max. 16.1 X 11.9, and 15.1 X 12.1, Min. 13.8x10.7 mm. Average 

 weight of 20 eggs. 67 mg. 9 full eggs weigh 1.415 g. (N. N. Foster). 



b. Continental Coal Tit, P. ater ater L. 



Plate 20, fig. 9—12 (Germany). 



Eggs: Thienemann, Fortpfl. Tab. XVIII, fig. 6, a — b. Baedeker, 

 Tab. 43, fig. 10. 



Foreign Names: Bohemia: Sykora uhelnidek. Denmark: Sortmeise. 

 Finland: Mustatilainer. France: Mesange noire. Germany: Tannenmeise. 

 Holland: Zwarte mees. Hungary: Fenyves czinege. Italy: Cincia mora. 

 Norway: Ktdmeise, Sortmeise. Poland: Sikora sosnoivka. Russia: Sinica 

 dernaja. Sweden: Svartmes. Spain: Herrerillo, Oarrajnnos. 



* A nest in a box on a window Icdgo 26 ft. from the grouud, is recorded in 

 the Zool. 1882, p. 234. 



uienta. 



