THE COAL TITMOUSE 



in pairs. Its food consists chiefly of insects, larvae, and small 

 seeds. It has the usual Tit-like actions, restless and acro- 

 batic, and frequently consorts with other Tits, Nuthatches, 

 and Creepers, from which its loud, clear note of if-hee-if- 

 hee-if-hee serves instantly to distinguish it. In winter it 

 often visits houses in the suburbs, and shares the suet or 

 bone with the Blue Tit. It rears two broods in the year, 

 laying in April and June. It appears to pair for life, and 

 often returns regularly to one spot to breed. The nest, a 

 somewhat slovenly, loosely constructed cup of moss and 

 dry grass, felted together with hair and lined with feathers, 

 is placed in a hole of a tree or wall, in a pump, or even 

 at times in the ground. The six or eight eggs are white, 

 spotted and freckled with red. 



The adult Coal Titmouse has the head and throat rich 

 glossy black shot with blue, the cheeks and nape white, 

 the remainder of the upper parts brown ; the wings and 

 tail are greyish brown, the coverts of the former tipped 

 with white, making a double bar across them ; the breast 

 and remainder of the under parts are greyish white, shad- 

 ing into brown on the flanks. Bill black ; tarsi and toes 

 lead-colour ; irides brown. Length 3f inches. The 

 young resemble their parents, but the white parts are 

 replaced by sulphur-yellow. 



in 



