10 THE SMALLER HRH'ISIF BIRDS. 



THE COLE, OR COAL TIT, 



(Parus a/tr.) 



PLATK I. FIGURE III. 



ALMOST everywhere in England this member of the Tit family may 

 be seen, and yet it is not very plentiful anywhere; like the Great Tit, 

 it remains with us throughout the year, and is most conspicuous in 

 the winter, because then it is more in the open fields, and in company 

 with others of its own species. It is not a shy bird, like some that 

 shun human habitations, being a not unfrequent visitor in and near 

 to busy towns; even in the great metropolis itself it has been observed. 



The Cole Tit is generally distributed over Ireland; it is found in 

 the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and among the pine forests of the 

 more northerly parts of Scotland; indeed it seems to prefer the pines 

 and firs to any other trees, and in summer time keeps very much 

 in the shelter of the woods. The following is a pretty picture of its 

 habits by the Scotch naturalist, Macgillivray : " It is pleasant to follow 

 a troop of these tiny creatures as they search the tree tops, spreading 

 all around, fluttering and creeping among the branches, ever in motion, 

 now clinging to a twig in an inverted position, now hovering over a 

 tuft of leaves, picking in a crevice of the bark, searching all the 

 branches, sometimes visiting the lowermost, and again winding among 

 those at the very tops of the trees. In wandering among these woods, 

 you are attracted by their shrill cheeping notes, which they continually 

 emit, as they flutter among the branches; and few persons thus falling 

 in with a flock, can help standing still to watch their motions for 

 awhile." To this Mr. Morris, in his "History of British Birds," adds, 

 "It is also observable how suddenly, without any apparent cause, the 

 whole troop, as if under marching orders, flit in a body from the tree 

 and alight elsewhere, again to go through their exercises, evolutions 

 and mano3uvres." 



The note of the Golem ouse, as this bird is sometimes called, is sharp 

 and shrill, something like zit, zit, zit-tee, che-chee, che-chee, and is so 

 loud, that, like that of the Oxeye, it may be heard a long way off; it 

 is first heard in February at rare intervals, but does not become very 

 constant until about August, by which time a second brood is often 

 fledged, the firsu being ready to leave the nest in May or June. 



A hole in a tree, generally at a less height from the ground than 



