TITS, OR TITMICE. 13 



It flies quickly, with an undnlatory or wave-like motion, and seems 

 to be scarcely ever at rest, throwing itself into all sorts of grotesque 

 attitudes, as though it hardly knew how to express its joy, and making 

 the woods ring again with its che-chee, che-chee; chica-chica-vhee ; tzit, 

 tzit, tzit, dea-dee; witzee; the last many times and rapidly repeated. 

 Then it chatters and chirps, and utters a shrill cheep, and sometimes 

 a sharp metallic twink, which is heard even in winter. At this latter 

 season the Marsh Tits become somewhat gregarious, going about in 

 small flocks, which, as spring approaches, pair off, and begin to look 

 out for a nesting place. The pairs are said sometimes to remain attached 

 for life, and to exhibit great affection for each other, the male bird 

 frequently feeding the sitting female. If one is caught in a trap, 

 the other will, if possible, visit the prisoner, and so gets captured also. 

 They are very tender and watchful over their young, as all the Tits 

 are, using almost incredible exertion and care in obtaining them a 

 sufficiency of food; this of course is entirely insects, and the old 

 birds feed on these as much as they can; when this fails, seeds, 

 grain, young plants, and even carrion. 



The nest of this species appears to be somewhat more carefully 

 made than that of the Tits generally; it is formed of moss, wood, 

 grass, willow catkins, wool, horse hair, or any other soft substance 

 obtainable; it is placed in the hollow of a tree, sometimes specially 

 made by the bird for the purpose, so it is stated by Montagu, 

 who has seen the little carpenter at work, and noticed that he carried 

 his chips some distance from the tree, that they might not betray 

 the whereabout of its nest; if this be true, it seems to indicate the 

 possession of a reasoning power, altogether beyond mere instinct. 

 The eggs of this species vary in number from five to nine, sometimes, 

 though rarely, exceeding that number. They are almost round in 

 shape, of a dull white colour, with red spots, plentiful at the thickest 

 end, and almost or quite absent at the thinnest. Towards the end of 

 July the young brood is ready for flight. 



About three drachms is generally the weight of the male bird, 

 the length about four inches and a half. The plumage is prettily 

 diversified, although not so gay as that of the Blue Tit; it is 

 composed of brown, black, and white, with the intermediate shades 

 of grey, and tinges of green and yellow. As with the other Tits, 

 and indeed with most of our smaller birds, the female differs from 

 the male in having the colours of the plumage more sobered and 

 subdued, the blacks being less glossy and decided, and greys and 

 browns predominating. 



