AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 143 



within hearing to inquire into the cause of disturb- 

 ance. We have often, when watching for Wood- 

 Pigeons in the plantations at evening-time, been 

 discovered by these little Titmice, who immediately 

 gave the alarm, and soon collected numbers of their 

 relations and congeners, besides Blackbirds, Red- 

 breasts, Chaffinches, and other birds, all of which 

 seemed to consider that our attempts at concealment 

 portended evil, as none of them would take much 

 notice if we simply walked or loitered in the sides or 

 shooting-paths of the coverts. The Blue Titmouse 

 makes her nest of moss, with a lining of hair and 

 feathers ; it is generally placed in a hole in a wall or 

 tree, most frequently, I think, in the former. The 

 parent birds are very bold in defence of their eggs or 

 young, and will peck and bite fiercely at fingers in- 

 quisitively introduced into their nests. The eggs are 

 generally from six to ten in number ; I have heard of 

 as many as fifteen ; they are white, thinly speckled 

 with light rusty red. This species appears to be 

 common in most parts of Europe ; but in North 

 Africa it is replaced by a very similar, but still more 

 beautiful species, Pants tenenff'ce or ultramarinus. 



60. COAL TITMOUSE. 



Parus ater. 



This bird, though common enough in our district, 

 is decidedly less so than either of the two species last 

 mentioned, to which, in general habits, it bears a 

 great resemblance. I find that Yarrell says that it is 

 more vegetarian in its diet than either the Great or 

 Blue Titmouse, and I have often remarked its 



