450 THE BLUE TIT. 



be met with, and also, but not so commonly, in pine and fir 

 woods." 



YABBELL says, " like the Blue Tit, this species is constantly in 

 motion, sometimes associated with Gold Crests and Lesser Ked- 

 poles, forming a small flock, and roving from tree to tree, in active 

 search for those small insects, and the seeds of various evergreens 

 upon which they principally subsist. They appear to bear cold 

 weather with indifference. 



" This bird is at once distinguished from the Marsh Tit, by 

 the white patch on the nape of the neck, and by the white spots 

 in the wing coverts, which are always present, neither of which 

 are to be found in the Marsh Tit at any age." 



According to HEWITSON, " when the Cole Tit breeds in the 

 holes of trees, it is usually at a less elevation than the other 

 species, and sometimes even in cavities which occur amongst the 

 exposed roots." 



" The song of the Cole Tit," observes MUDIE, " is not indeed 

 one of many notes, or of mellifluous inflexions it is little else 

 than the same note repeated four or five times, but with so much 

 variety of pitch and tune, as to form a sort of cadence, which 

 would make a good variety anywhere, as it is shrill and clear. 

 The bird sings in the noontide heat, when most birds, and 

 especially those of the open wastes, with which the haunts of 

 this species are interspersed, are usually silent. While the Cole 

 Tit is singing away in the plantation of half grown pines, often 

 heard, but seldom seen, the Marsh species may be seen flitting 

 about among the long fragrant broom, which often grows thick 

 in the neighbourhood : but as the one is heard while the other is 

 seen, that causes them to be sometimes confounded." 



175. THE BLUE TIT, OR TOM TIT. 



Parus Caeruleus, LIN. Mesange Bleue, BUF. Die Blaumeise, BECH. 



Description. This very pretty bird is four inches and a half 

 long, of which the tail measures two inches. The beak is 

 three lines long, blackish except at the edges and point, which 

 are white ; the iris is dark brown ; the feet lead colour, and 

 eight lines in height. The forehead and cheeks are white ; 

 and a white stripe passes from the forehead over the eyes, and 

 encircles the top of the head, which is a beautiful blue. A 

 black stripe runs between the eyes : the throat is black ; and 

 between it and the neck is a dark blue stripe, which surrounds 

 the head. There is a white spot on the nape of the neck ; and 

 the back is light Siskin green, the feathers being of a more 

 silky texture than in most birds of this genus. The under 



