238 INSESSORES. PARUS. TITMOUSE. 



the higher trees, like others of its tribe, but confines itself to 

 the underwood, flitting from bush to bush near the ground. 

 Its usual note is so different as to be easily distinguished 

 from that of all the other species, but in spring some of the 

 notes of the male bird are not unlike those of the Greater Tit- 

 mouse. It breeds in the holes of old willows, and such trees 

 as occur in its peculiar haunts, and frequently excavates the 

 intended habitation of its brood to a considerable depth, al- 

 ways making it a little wider at the bottom for the reception 

 Nest, &c. of the nest, which is composed of moss, mixed with the pap- 

 pus (or seed-down) of the willow, (and not of thistle-down, 

 as stated by MONTAGU), lined with a warm coating of the 

 same material. The eggs, from six to eight in number, are 

 white, with reddish-brown spots, most numerous towards the 

 larger end. 



Like others of the genus, those birds keep together in fa- 

 milies during the winter, only separating and pairing on the 

 approach of spring. They are found throughout Europe, 

 and are particularly abundant in Holland. The species ap- 

 pears to be precisely the same in North America. 



PLATE 51. Fig. 4. Natural size. 



General Head, nape of the neck, and throat, ink-black. Upper 

 tion. nr P arts yellowish-grey. Wings and tail bluish-grey, 



edged paler. Cheeks yellowish-white. Breast and 

 belly white, tinged with pale yellowish-brown. Legs 

 bluish-grey. 

 The female does not differ from the male bird. 



