MARSH TIT. 373 



woods, but apparently preferring shorter brushwood to 

 high trees, occasionally visiting orchards and gardens. The 

 Marsh Tit, also, like its generic companions, remains in 

 this country throughout the year; is, like them, active 

 and sprightly in its habits, flitting from place to place, 

 feeding on insects in their various stages, is said to be an 

 enemy to bees, and when in the garden, may be frequently 

 seen feeding on the seeds of the sunflower ; is observed, 

 also, to be partial to the seeds of the thistle ; and in 

 winter, according to Mr. Selby, it will eat stale flesh. 



This bird makes its nest in holes in old willows, and 

 in the low scrubby stocks of pollard trees that have been 

 headed down, taking considerable pains in enlarging any 

 suitable cavity. Colonel Montagu says he has seen the 

 Marsh Tit excavating the decayed part of such trees, and 

 artfully carrying the chips in its bill to some distance, 

 always working downwards, and making the bottom for 

 the reception of the nest larger than the entrance. The 

 nest is compactly formed of moss and wool, lined with 

 the soft seed-down of the willow. The eggs are from five 

 to eight in number, measuring seven lines and a half in 

 length, by six lines in breadth, white, spotted with red. 

 The female exhibits great attachment to her nest, and is 

 not easily induced to forsake it. The call-note of this 

 species is a single sharp chirp, like that of the other Tits, 

 and this bird is only to be distinguished from them by its 

 voice, when it puts forth a rapid succession of notes, more 

 remarkable for chattering gaiety than quality of tone. 



The Great Tit, the Blue, the Cole, the Marsh, and the 

 Long-tailed Tit, next to be described, are each of them 

 common around London ; and when requiring additional 

 specimens for my use in this work, I found no difficulty in 

 obtaining pairs of each of them within a very short space 



