MARSH-TIT. 479 



succession, tay, tay, tay, tay ; and by following the sound you may trace 

 the rapidity with which the bird flits from tree to tree, probably calling for 

 its mate. At other times a much lower and still more plaintive wee, wee, 

 is heard. In spring I have heard it utter a loud ti-ted ' , ti-ted' , something 

 like the still louder note of the Great Tit, which I always fancy is an 

 imitation of a rusty-axled wheelbarrow creaking as it is trundled along. 

 Its song is a very simple sis, sis, sis, see, scarcely deserving to be called 

 a song at all. 



In most parts of its range the Marsh-Tit is a resident ; but in autumn 

 these birds wander about considerably, and I have frequently noticed that 

 in some localities they suddenly become common for a few weeks and then 

 disappear. In Norfolk it is said that in autumn an arrival of Marsh-Tits 

 from the continent has been observed ; and this is confirmed by the appear- 

 ance of these birds on Heligoland. Of all the British Tits the Marsh-Tit 

 is apparently the most hardy. Its range continues considerably further 

 north than any of the rest, and, indeed, than any of the Palaearctic Tits, 

 with the single exception of the Lapp Tit. Like most of the other species 

 of this family, it is a very sociable bird, except perhaps during the breeding- 

 season. In this country I have generally seen it in company with the Blue 

 Tit and the Great Tit. In the south of France it often joined a party of 

 Goldcrests ; and in Siberia it was in the same flock as the Lapp Tit and 

 the Nuthatch. The tendency of birds to flock together when food is scarce 

 is almost universal, and probably is of great service, especially in countries 

 where the winters are severe, not only in discovering supplies of food, but 

 also in giving timely notice of the approach of danger. 



The Marsh-Tit may almost be said to be omnivorous; nothing comes amiss 

 to it. In winter you may easily obtain an opportunity of watching its habits 

 in frosty weather by hanging up a bone, or a lump of suet, or even a tallow 

 candle in the garden. It is very fond of seeds of all kinds ; and scarcely 

 any sort of fruit, soft or hard, is neglected ; but perhaps, on the whole, 

 this bird is chiefly insectivorous. 



I have always found the nest of the Marsh-Tit in a hole in a tree, 

 generally near the ground, and almost always in such a narrow hole that 

 it was necessary to use a wire to draw out the eggs with part of the nest. 

 Many other situations, however, are on record. It has repeatedly been 

 observed to excavate a hole for itself in a decayed tree, the entrance being 

 then as round as the hole of a Woodpecker, and small in proportion to the 

 size of the bird. Occasionally it breeds in a pollard willow, and has even 

 been known to build in a rabbit-burrow or an old rat's hole. The inside 

 of the hole, if too deep, is filled up with bits of wood or small twigs, and 

 upon this k *foundation a moderately neat nest is composed of moss, wool, 

 hair, and any other soft material that may be within reach. Fresh eggs 

 may be found in May ; and it is said that a second brood is often reared. 



