PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 177 



ally, however, the nest is either in or close to the ground. It is almost always in a 



lil- .iinl consists "I" tOOm, Upon uiii.h i- |>1. i.T.I .. tln.-U l.i\n <>| f.-ltnl li.ur .in.l 



rabbit's down, or wool. Occasionally feathers are used as lining material. 

 (PI. xxv.) Building appears to be carried on by the hen alone, at least I have 

 no record of the male assisting in the work. Eggs 7 to 11, rarely as many as 13, 

 white, sometimes freckled with pale red spots and at other times with dark red 

 spot* tending to a zone. (PI. D.) Average size of 100 eggs, -59 x -45 in. [15 x 11*6 

 mm.]. Laying begins about April 20th in the south and extends to two or three 

 u-rk> l.itrr Mirth, r n..rtli. In. ukit I..M is rhu-tly carrir.l on l>\ tin- h-n. though 

 Naumann states that both sexes take part, and lasts about 14 days, but exact 

 observations are lacking. Apparently only one brood is reared as a rule. [K. o. R. j.] 



5. Food. Chiefly insects. In autumn and winter, the species feeds also on 

 nuts and seeds of conifers. The nestlings are fed by both parents entirely on 

 insects and their larva*, [u. L. T. ] 



6. Song Period. Similar to that of the great-tit (i.e. from mid-August to 

 mid-June), but generally sings more in autumn, and may sing occasionally during 

 most of the summer months (C. J. and H. G. Alexander, Br. Birds, iv. p. 274). 

 [B. L. T.] 



IRISH COAL -TIT [Panu aUr hibernicus Grant]. 



I. Description. The Irish coal-tit is at once distinguished from the typical 

 British coal-tit in that the white neck patch and the white area of the side of the 

 head and neck, characteristic of the typical bird, are replaced by sulphur-yellow ; 

 further, the neck patch is smaller. Similarly, the whitish area of the breast and 

 abdomen in the Irish bird have a strong wash of sulphur-yellow. The back is 

 greener ; while the rump and upper tail-coverts are strongly tinged with cinnamon, 

 as also are the flanks (W. R. Ogilvie Grant, Bulletin British Ornith. Club, xxvii. 

 p. 36). [w. P. P.] 



2-3. Distribution and Migration. Coal-tits have long been known to 

 be common residents in Ireland, breeding in every county, but it was not till late 

 in the year 1910 that Irish specimens were compared by Mr. Ogilvie Grant, with 

 a series from other parts of the British Isles and the differences pointed out. Up 

 to the present specimens have been obtained from Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, 

 Westmeath, and Sligo, but examples apparently of the British form were also 

 secured in Co. Down in January 1904, though it is probable that the latter were 



