THE CRESTED TIT. 455 



Habitat. The Crested Tit, which is hardly so common as 

 the species already enumerated, frequents woods of coniferous 

 trees, and seems to prefer spots where the juniper tree abounds. 

 It is a shy bird, concealing itself deep in the underwood. In 

 confinement, it may be treated like the Tom Tit, though a much 

 more delicate bird, and far less easy to tame. 



Food. In a wild state, its food is the same as that of the 

 Ox-eye. It will soon become accustomed to the food of the 

 aviary, if kept for a few days on ants' eggs and meal worms. 



Breeding. It builds its nest, which is like that of the Ox- 

 eye, in hollow trees, between stones, or in the deserted habita- 

 tions of other and larger birds. The female lays from six to 

 ten snowy white eggs, marked with numerous indistinct blood- 

 coloured spots. The young birds, if taken from the nest, may 

 be reared on chopped meal worms and ants' eggs ; but the best 

 plan is to take the old ones with their brood, which, if sup- 

 plied with ants' eggs, they will continue to feed and tend. 



Mode of Taking. The Crested Tit may be taken in the same 

 manner as the Ox-eye. 



Attractive Qualities. This is a pretty bird, but its song is 

 weak, and presents nothing worthy of notice. Its call is 

 Goerrkee ! 



ADDITIONAL. But few specimens of this bird have beeD ob- 

 tained in Great Britain, and these only in the northern parts. 

 COL. MONTAGUE, in his Ornithological Dictionary, says : " It is 

 not uncommon in the large tracts of pines in the north of Scot- 

 land, particularly in the forest of Gleumoor, the property of the 

 Duke of Gordon." SIE WILLIAM JAEDINE, in a note to SELBY'S 

 British Ornithology, states that it annually breeds in some plan- 

 tations not far distant from Glasgow, and elsewhere states, that 

 he had received the nest of this species taken from some hollow 

 tree, and that the inside lining was composed of the scales and 

 cast-off exuvia of snakes. JOHN WALCOT, Esq., in the second 

 volume of his Synopsis of British Birds, and DR. LATHAM, in the 

 second supplementary volume to his General Synopsis, also report 

 that they have heard of the species being plentiful in some parts 

 of Scotland. MACGILLIVEAY has never seen the bird alive, nor 

 MTJDIE, although the latter states that he has been much in these 

 northern forests, which it is said to inhabit. 



