202 



from 7 to 10 miles in width, along the Spey valley, in Abernethy, 

 Rothiemurchus, and Dulnan, up to the base of the Cairngorms, above Loch 

 Morlich and Larig Grhrue and down the Spey valley to Ballindalloch 

 (Ver. launa of Moray Basin, I, p. 255; T(iy, p. 93). It is essentially 

 a haunter of the pine woods, or where conifers are mixed with hard- 

 woods. 

 Nest. The more usual sites are holes bored in dead and decayed pine 



stumps or trees, sometimes in the cleft where a tree has been split, and 

 also in holes of fence posts, both iron and wooden. Nests have also 

 been found in decayed alder and birch branches ( V. F. of Moray Basin, 

 I, 257 etc.), and O. A. J. Lee found one in the foundation of an old 

 Hooded Crow's nest. Dry moss forms the foundation, on which is placed 

 a carelessly formed layer of deer's hair lined with hare's fur and some- 

 limes feathers or wool. Tufts of cotton grass are also met with at times. 

 The height from the ground varies from 6 in. to 8 ft., often 4 or 5 ft., 

 and the hole is generally about 10 or 12 in. deep. 

 Eggs. 5 or 6, sometimes 7 or 8 in number, white, spotted chiefly at the 



big end with rich chesnut red, frequently forming a zone or cap of 

 markings. Occasionally a nest is met with in which t'le markings are 

 almost obsolete, but as a rule the eggs of the Crested Tits are the hand- 

 somest of the family. 

 Breeding Most cggs are laid about the end of April or early in May, but 



Season, gomctimes much earlier, as in 1894 Hinxman found a nest with nearly 



fledged young on May 9. 

 Measure- Average size of 46 eggs from Strathspey, 16.07 X 12.56 mm., 



mcnts. jyij^x. 17 X 13, Min. 14.6 x 12.3 and 15.5 x 12 mm. 



b. North Enropean Crested Tit, P. cristatus cristatas L. 



Egg: Taczanowski. Tab. LXIV, fig. 4. 



Foreign Names: Finland: ToyhtotUainen. Norway: Topmeise, 

 Poland: Sikora czubatka. Russia: Chochlataja sinica. Sweden: Tofsmes. 



P. cristatus L. Dresser, t. c. (part.). P. cristatus cristatus L. 

 Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 363. 



Breeding Range: Scandinavia, Russia, E. Prussia. 

 Con- In Norway the range of this form extends to about lat. 64" N., 



tinentai yj^^j .^^ Y\[gh as thc limit of conifers extends in the mountains; while in 

 Sweden it is met with from mid-Augermanland to N. Skane. In Finland 

 it has been recorded from Pudasjarvi; and it is found in small numbers 

 near Archangel (Cholmogory) in N. Russia, while it is distributed 

 through the pine forests of the Baltic Provinces, Mid -Russia, Poland 

 and E. Prussia. Probably the Vistula and the Carpathians form the 



Europe. 



