THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



feathers, more or less felted together, the first-named 

 type, of course, being the most compactly made. The 

 six or eight eggs are white or yellowish white in ground 

 colour, spotted and freckled with light red. Throughout 

 the nesting season the old birds are shy and wary and 

 silent. 



The adult Great Titmouse has the general colour of the 

 upper back yellowish green, yellowest towards the nape, 

 which is white, and shading into slate-grey on the lower 

 back and upper tail-coverts ; the forehead, crown, sides of 

 the neck and throat are glossy black, the cheeks and the 

 ear-coverts are white ; the wings are brown, with pale 

 margins, the coverts pale blue, tipped with yellowish 

 white, forming a bar ; the tail is dull black suffused with 

 blue, the two outer feathers white along the outer web and 

 at the tip, the next pair tipped with white. The under 

 parts below the throat are bright greenish yellow, with a 

 broad black band extending from the black on the throat 

 to the vent, which, with the under tail-coverts, is mottled 

 with white. Bill black ; tarsi and toes lead-colour ; irides 

 dark brown. Length 5i inches. The nestlings closely 

 resemble their parents in general colour, but are duller, 

 and the white parts are suffused with yellow. 



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