On the approach of spring the flocks of Crested Tits break up and 

 become scattered throughout the pine forests ; they are then very rarely seen, 

 and as a rule their presence is only betrayed by their curious note. The 

 breeding season commences about the end of April, and eggs are laid about 

 the beginning of May. The Crested Tit usually builds its nest in a hole in 

 a dead pine-tree or old fence post, but it is often met with in the cavity 

 formed by some decayed branch of an alder or birch tree. I came across a 

 nest in Strathspey which was built in the foundation of an old Hooded Crow's 

 nest, and contained five fully-fledged young ones. This was on the 3oth May ; 

 but such situations are uncommon, as a hole in a tree is almost invariably 

 chosen. 



The nest is very carelessly made of moss, dry grass, wool, feathers, or 

 deer's hair, sometimes hare fur. In Strathspey deer's hair is the general rule, 

 and nearly all the nests I have examined were lined with it. The hole is 

 rarely very deep, about twelve inches being the usual thing. It is generally 

 found in the trunk of some dead tree, of which there are many all through 

 the forest. These dead trees vary from six to eleven inches in diameter, and 

 are usually broken off some five or six feet from the ground. The outside 

 skin of the tree and the core are usually fairly hard, but the intermediate part 

 is generally rotten, and easily bored out by the birds. 



From four to eight eggs are laid by the Crested Tit; they vary a good 

 deal in the distribution of the surface spots. The ground-colour is pure 

 white. On some specimens the surface spots are small and pretty evenly 

 distributed over the entire surface of the egg, other specimens have the spots 

 collected in an irregular mass at the large end of the egg, or in a zone round 

 it, while some specimens have only a few rich bold spots. The colour of the 

 surface spots is brownish red, the colour being darkest, as a rule, in those 

 specimens which have small markings, and much paler on those with large 

 spots. Some clutches are absolutely without markings of any sort, but as a 

 rule the eggs of the Crested Tit are more boldly marked than is usual with 

 the eggs of the Tit. They vary in length from '69 to '58 inch, and in breadth 

 from '54 to "47 inch. 



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