136 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



Eggs. From five to eight in number, sometimes as many as 

 twelve being found. The eggs, as might be expected, are small 

 editions of those of the Great Tit, but the reddish markings 

 are much less developed, and are represented in many cases by 

 a sprinkling of tiny dots, which are sometimes also collected at 

 the large end of the egg, leaving the small end unspotted. 

 Axis, o'6 inch ; diam, 0-5. 



THE EUROPEAN COAT.-TIT. PARUS ATER. 



Parus ater, Linn., Syst. Nat, i., p. 341 (1766); Gadow, Cat. 

 B. Brit. Mus., p. 40 (1883, pt); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. 

 B., pt. iv. (1887, pt). 



Adult Male. General colour above slaty-blue, a little tinged 

 with olive on the rump and upper tail-coverts; lesser and 

 median wing-coverts slaty-blue like the back ; the greater 

 coverts dusky, externally washed with slaty-blue, and, like the 

 median series, tipped with white, forming a double wing-bar; 

 quills dusky-brown, externally edged with olive, the inner 

 secondaries tipped with dingy white ; tail feathers dusky, 

 washed with ashy-grey ; crown of head and hind-neck glossy 

 blue-black, divided in the centre from the nape to the hind- 

 neck by a broad patch of white ; lores, cheeks, and sides of 

 face white, extending down the sides of the neck ; entire 

 throat black, spreading on to the sides of the upper breast ; 

 breast and abdomen greyish-white, the sides of body and 

 flanks, as well as the under tail-coverts, isabelline ; under wing- 

 coverts and quill-lining white ; bill black ; feet leaden-grey ; 

 iris hazel. Total length, 4-2 inches ; oilmen, 0-35 ; wing, 2*45 ; 

 tail, 1 7 5 ; tarsus, o'6. 



Adult Female. Not to be distinguished from the male in 

 colour, but the gloss on the head a little less marked. Total 

 length, 4*2 inches; wing, 2*4. 



Young. Similar to the adults, but yellow below ; a little 

 more rufescent on the flanks ; the white sides of the face and 

 nape-patch of the adults replaced by pale yellow ; the black of 

 the head more dingy, and the black of the throat and chest 

 represented in the young birds by a patch of dusky black on 

 the throat only. 



Range in Great Britain. An occasional visitor from the Con 



