THE BRITISH C4REAT TITMOUSE. 229 



Field-characters. — Largest British Tit. Differs from all others 

 in broad black band doAvn middle of sulijhiu'-3'ellow breast and 

 belly. Cheeks white, croMii glossy black. From autumn to spring 

 associates with other Tits and Goldcrests in woodlands and hedge- 

 rows. The individual members of these bands are in constant 

 motion, assuming every variety of acrobatic posture as they hunt 

 for food. Flight of all is weak and imcertain, consisting mainly of 

 short passages from tree to tree. Their cries are a confusing medley, 

 for all have — "with slight modification — a common call-note, a low 

 squeak, " tsee, tsee, tsee," which is shared too by Goldcrest and 

 Creeper, but each species has certain distinctive notes, e.g., the 

 Chaffinch-like " pink, i^ink " and saw-sharpening '' teacher, teacher, 

 teacher " of this species. 



Breeding-habits. — Usually nests in a hole of a tree or wall, 

 occasionally in cre\ices of rock or in foundations of nests of larger 

 birds ; also in Kingfishers' burrows and even in old nests of Thrush, 

 Blackbird, Hedge-tSparrow, etc. Xest-boxes, letter-boxes, flower- 

 pots, bee-hives, and almost any kind of hole may be used in default 

 of natural sites. Nest. — Built of moss, with a few bents, lined with 

 a thick layer of felted hair or do^^Aii, with which the eggs are covered 

 in the absence of the bird. Eggs. — 6 to 11 as a rule, but nests with 

 12 to 17 eggs are on record, probably in some cases laid by two birds ; 

 white, sparingly or thickly blotched and spotted with recldish-bro^vii, 

 showing much variation. Some have no markings. Average of 

 100 eggs, 17.9x13.5 mm. Breeding -season. — Begins about end 

 April or early May, sometimes also in June. Incubation.— ho^^is. 

 14 days (Evans) ; 12-13 (Steele-Elliott) ; i^robably by hen only. 

 One brood as a rule. 



Food. — Undoubtedly does some damage by destruction of buds in 

 spring, and fruit in autumn, but also destroys great quantities of 

 insects (coleoptera, larvae and imagines of lepidoptera (especially 

 winter moth and mottled umber), hymenoptera, orthoptera) ; also 

 aphides, spiders, scale insects, small mollusca and earthworms. 

 Besides fruit, peas, chestnuts, wheat and maize are occasionally 

 taken, and it has been loiowii to kill a bat, and young birds, attacking 

 the brain. Young fed largely on moth larvse ; Newstead estimates 

 that one pair will destroy 7,000 to 8,000 insects, chiefly caterpillars, 

 in about 3 weeks. 



Distribution. — Confined to British Isles. England, Wales, and 

 Ireland. — Resident. Generally distributed. >SVo^/arw/.^Resiclent. 

 Generally distributed in south and central portions ; becoming 

 scarce north Argyll and north of Loch Ness ; in north Sutherland, 

 Caithness, Orkneys and Shetlands Great Tits (whether of this form 

 or P. m. major not ascertained) are only occasional visitors ; breeds 

 Islay, Jura, and Mull, but only rare visitor Skye, and unlvnown 

 0. Hebrides. 



