THE COLE TIT. 107 



of for nesting purposes, such as a hole in a wall or bank, 

 the hollows about the exposed roots of trees, or even the 

 deserted hole of a mouse or rat. Sometimes a small hole 

 will be enlarged by the birds themselves. 



The nest is made up of a mass of fine moss, dry grass, 

 hair, and wool; it is always lined very thickly with 

 feathers. Six or eight eggs are laid ; they resemble the 

 eggs of the rest of the Titmice white spotted with red. 

 The male bird is said to often take his turn at sitting, 

 and incubation lasts about fourteen days. 



The young birds are at first fed almost entirely on 

 caterpillars ; where these birds are plentiful large numbers 

 of caterpillars must be destroyed at these times, as the 

 parents are most assiduous in their attention to their off- 

 spring, and may be observed going to and from the nest 

 almost continually. 



The adult male has the beak black ; the irides hazel ; the 

 cheeks and sides of the neck, white ; the head, ear-coverts, 

 and the lower part of the sides of the neck before the wing, 

 black ; back and wing-coverts bluish-grey, the smaller and 

 larger coverts ending with a spot of white on each feather, 

 forming two conspicuous white bars across the wings ; the 

 quill feathers brownish-grey, edged with green ; the 

 tertials tipped with dull white ; upper tail-coverts greenish 

 fawn colour ; tail feathers brownish-grey ; tail slightly 

 forked. The chin and throat black ; breast dull white ; 

 belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts fawn colour, tinged 

 with green ; under surface of wing and tail feathers, grey ; 

 legs, toes, and claws black. The entire length of the bird 

 is about four inches and a quarter. The Cole Tit may at 

 once be distinguished from the Marsh Tit by the white 

 patch on the nape. 



