178 PARUS 



Hob. Europe from 63 N. Lat. to the Mediterranean and east 

 to Persia. 



Active, restless, and cheerful, this is one of our best known 

 birds, especially as it so frequently occurs in gardens and near 

 inhabited dwellings. After the young are fledged they collect 

 in small flocks, together with other Titmice and Goldcrests, 

 and wander about during the winter in search of food, but in 

 some parts they migrate regularly. They feed chiefly on 

 insects and their larvae, but to some slight extent on berries, 

 seeds, and fruit. Few birds are more useful in ridding gardens 

 of insect pests. They are also very partial to picking an old 

 bone if placed out for that purpose. The nest is constructed of 

 moss, wool, and feathers, and is placed in any convenient hole 

 in a tree or wall, or in an old pot or box if allowed to make use 

 of such. The eggs, from 7 to 12, or 14, or occasionally even 

 more, are deposited in April or May, and are white spotted 

 with pale red, averaging in size about 0'57 by 0'45. Mr, 

 Blanford separated the Persian bird, naming it P. persicus 

 (Ibis, 1873, p. 89, E. Pers. pi. xvi., fig. 2), but after a careful 

 comparison I cannot agree that it is separable from the 

 European form. 



i 



261. ALGERIAN BLUE TITMOUSE. 

 PARU8 ULTRAMARINUS. 



Parus ultramarinus, Bp. Kev. et Mag. de Zool. 1841, p. 146 ; Dresser,, 

 ix. p. 128 ; P. teneriffce, Dresser, iii. p. 139, pi. 113, fig. 3 (nee. Less.) ; 

 Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 14, (nee. Less.). 



Hou-reziza, Arabic. 



ad. (Algeria). Differs from P. cceruleus in having the upper part& 

 clear slaty blue, the crown blue-black, and all the blue portions of the 

 plumage very much darker in tone ; larger wing-coverts and secondaries 

 tipped with white. Culmen 0'4, wing 2*45, tail, 2'0, tarsus 0'65 inch. 

 Sexes similar. 



Hob. North-west Africa and the island of Fuerteventura. 



In habits it resembles P. cceruleus, and affects woods, orchards, 

 and gardens, feeding on insects and their larvae, small berries, 

 and seeds. Its note is, however, said to differ from that of 

 P. cceruleus. It nests in holes of trees, making a nest of any 

 soft substances it can collect together, and deposits 6 to 8 eggs, 

 which resemble those of P. cceruleus, but are as a rule more 

 strongly blotched with red. 



