PARIDJE. 127 



who kept some young Cole Tits in a cage, observed 

 that they were mostly fed with little green cater- 

 pillars. 



The nest of the Cole Tit is usually placed in a 

 hole in a wall or tree, usually near the bottom, 

 sometimes at a considerable distance from the 

 entrance at all events, far enough for both the 

 nest and the bird to be quite out of sight: it is 

 also occasionally placed amongst the roots of a tree 

 or in a mouse hole.* It is made of moss, wool, hair 

 and feathers. 



The Cole Tit has the beak black ; irides hazel ; 

 head and back of the neck (except a spot of white on 

 the nape) black ; cheeks, ear- coverts and sides of the 

 throat white ; throat black ; back, scapulars and tail- 

 coverts bluish gre}', the feathers especially those on 

 the tail- coverts margined with yellowish rusty ; tail 

 dusky brown; wing-coverts dark lead- colour, and 

 both greater and lesser tipped with white, making 

 two conspicuous bars of white across the wing; 

 quills dusky brown, very slightly margined with 

 olive-green ; tertials the same, but tipped with white ; 

 breast and belly white, running into yellowish rusty 

 on the flanks ; legs, toes and claws black. 



The egg of the Cole Tit is much about the same 

 size as that of the Blue Tit, and like it of a white 

 ground, with brick-dust-red spots, but the spots 



* Hewitson. 



