TITS AND WRENS 43 



sumably to store, there is not time to have 

 swallowed it before they are back again at the 

 stand. 



A pair of coal-tits that were here one 

 winter seemed quite demoralised by the food- 

 stand, and to have altogether given up 

 hunting for their natural food. 



Both kinds are perfectly amicable together, 

 but a marsh will make way for a coal-tit. 

 The marsh-tit seems to excite special 

 animosity in torn-tits, whilst the coal-tit 

 watches his opportunity, and, nipping in just 

 at the right moment, escapes much persecu- 

 tion. Of the two the coal-tit has a more 

 musical voice and a greater variety of notes, 

 but once (in 1899) when watching a party of 

 marsh-tits, I heard, besides the usual harsh 

 note, a kind of continuous warble every now 

 and then, which I could attribute to no other 

 bird, though I could not actually see a marsh- 

 tit uttering it. 



The delightful little wrens are always with 

 us, and the loud, clear ringing notes of their 

 sweet song may be heard almost throughout 

 the year. In July, when most birds are 

 silent, the wren does his best to make up for 

 it, he seems to take a pleasure in having the 

 field to himself, and his song may be heard, 

 and often his alone every day until the 

 middle of August. By that time some of the 

 robins, having recovered from their moult, 

 begin to tune up, and the wren leaves it to 



