136 OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



eggs were four in number, coloured greenish-brown 

 with dusky streaks and blotches; their weight 

 thirty-seven grains. They had been incubated some 

 days. 



From the above it would seem that this species 

 is either a late breeder, or else sometimes has two 

 broods in the season ; most likely the latter. I have 

 always noticed that it continues in song till some 

 time after midsummer. 



TITMICE. 



THE notes of the titmice are rather puzzling to 

 distinguish, owing to the variety possessed by some 

 species, and the same note being occasionally used by 

 more than one of them. The great titmouse* is 

 the only one which has any pretensions to song. 

 This species has several distinct sets of notes, all 

 of them "joyous" and lively, which it repeats from 

 the tops and higher branches of the larger trees. 

 Besides these, it has two or three chattering notes, 

 which it appears to possess in common with the blue 

 titmousef and others, and which are uttered princi- 

 pally whilst running up and down the smaller shrubs. 

 I cannot discover that the blue titmouse itself has any 

 one constant note peculiar to the species. The marsh 

 titmousej is sufficiently characterized by a note 

 resembling the word chip or chit, repeated seven or 

 eight times in pretty rapid succession, and which is 

 often heard from the tops of tall trees in the early 



* Par us major, Linn. 

 t P. carukus, Linn. J P. palustris, Linn. 



