236 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS* 



throat pale yellow, the feathers with sooty bases which show through ; 

 breast and belly pale yellow ; flanks and under tail-coverts same 

 tinged pale buff ; axillaries and under wing-coverts buffish-white ; 

 tail, primaries, secondaries and primary-coverts as adult ; greater 

 and median coverts as adult but with olive-green fringes and 

 yellowish-white tips ; lesser coverts black-brown tinged olive. 



First winter. Male and female. Like adults. The juvenile 

 body -feathers, greater, median and lesser wing-coverts are moulted 

 July-Sept., but not primary-coverts, remiges or rectrices. 



Measurements and structure. Q wing 59-63 mm., tail 43-47, 

 tarsus 17-18, bill from skull 9-10 (12 measured). wing 57-62. 

 Primaries : 1st 7-10 mm. longer than primary -co verts, 2nd equal 

 to (or between) 7th or 8th, 4th and 5th longest, 3rd and 6th 1 mm. 

 shorter, 7th 5-7 shorter ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. 

 Secondaries equal 10th primary, tips rounded with somewhat 

 pointed apex. Tail slightly forked, each feather being sloped off 

 at tip of inner web. Bill fairly strong but finer than in Blue Tit- 

 mouse. Good many rictal and nasal bristles, short bristle-like 

 feathers covering nostrils. Tarsal joint feathered. 



Soft parts. Bill black ; legs and feet lead-blue ; iris brown. 



CHARACTERS. -For allied forms see p. 234. Small size, large white 

 nuchal patch and white tips to wing-coverts distinguish the Coal- 

 from other British species of Tit. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS.- Differs from other British Tits in having a 

 large pure white patch on nape. Partial to coniferous trees. A 

 characteristic note is " iff-hee, iff -he e, iff-hee." 



BREEDING-HABITS. Nests in a hole either in or close to the ground 

 in old stump, or tree, sometimes in a wall, more often in a bank. 

 Once recorded in an old Thrush's nest, and several times among 

 foundations of large nests in trees. Nest. Built of moss with 

 thick layer of felted hair or down ; feathers exceptionally used. 

 Eggs. 7 to 11, occasionally 13. Nests with 21 must be used by 

 two hens. Colour white, with reddish -brown spots, sometimes 

 thickly marked in zone, more often finely speckled. Average of 

 100 eggs, 15x11.6 mm. Breeding-season. Latter part of April 

 in south, early May in midlands and north. Incubation. Period 

 not exactly known, probably 12 days, chiefly at any rate by hen. 

 Single-brooded. 



FOOD. Mainly insects (coleoptera and larvae, imagines and larvae 

 of diptera, larvae and eggs of lepidoptera and hymenoptera) ; also 

 spiders, American blight and mussel scale. Seeds are also some- 

 times eaten, and like other Tits it will feed on meat and fat. Also 

 kernels of nuts, beech-mast and seeds of conifers. 



DISTRIBUTION. Confined to Great Britain. England and Wales. 



