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Lord Lilford also writes to us:—“ All the Titmice appear to gather together in February. I 
have often seen during that month many individuals of the five common species, P. major, P. ater, 
P. ceruleus, P. palustris, and Acredula caudata, all busy after insects, within a few yards of each 
other, and mixed together on low bushes close to the house.” 
For the following account we are indebted to the kindness of Mr. A. Benzon, of Copenhagen :— 
“In Denmark it is named Sumpmeise or Graameise, while, on account of the colour of its 
head, it is generally called Svartkop. It appears to be more able to accommodate itself to circum- 
stances than the Great or Blue Titmice, and makes use of holes not only low but quite high up 
in the trees. It has eggs rather earlier than the Blue Titmouse, and fewer in number. At 
Dyrehaven I found a nest on the 5th of May 1870, with six incubated eggs; and in 1856, when 
in company with my ornithological friends, we found on the 9th of May one nest with six strongly 
incubated eggs, a second with five fresh, and a third with seven fresh eggs. The spots are darker 
than those on the Blue Titmouse eggs, and show more tendency to collect in a circle round the 
larger end, and are about the size of that bird’s eggs.” 
Mr. H. M. Labouchere sends us the accompanying note :—‘ The Marsh-Titmouse, although 
not very common in the sea-provinces, nor even, as its name would imply, in the low and 
marshy districts of the North of Holland, is very abundant in the districts where pine-woods 
abound; and I have often seen large flocks of them flying about in company with Cole-Tits and 
Crested Tits. I have caught a great many of these birds, and succeeded in keeping several of 
them in cages for a considerable length of time. Like all birds of their tribe they bear their 
captivity with much cheerfulness, but never lose an opportunity of effecting their escape when 
practicable. It is wonderful to see the number of flies and other insects they can consume in a 
short space of time; and this great appetite of theirs may be turned to good account by letting 
one of these birds loose in a room where those insects have become a nuisance.” 
The Marsh-Titmouse makes its nest in the hollow of any tree suitable for its purpose, and 
constructs it of moss, fine grass, &c. lined with wool or feathers. The eggs are from eight to 
twelve in number. 
In a series of the eggs of this Titmouse in Dresser’s collection, obtained chiefly at Ilovetz, 
Wallachia, by himself, we find that they vary but little in size or shape, the largest measuring 
26 of an inch by 3%, and the smallest 7% by 43. 
In colour they are pure white, dotted all over with scattered dull red dots. One egg is 
altogether white, with one or two small red dots and a large red smudge at the larger end. 
Compared with the eggs of the Cole-Titmouse, the spots are larger and more scattered than in 
the eggs of that bird, but they are hard to separate. 
The descriptions are taken from Scandinavian examples in our own collection, the spring 
plumage being described from a male shot in Denmark in May 1870, and sent to us by 
Mr. Alfred Benzon, the autumnal dress from a Swedish specimen killed near Stockholm on the 
23rd of October 1861, and given to us by Professor Sundevall. In the Plate is given a figure of 
a Scandinavian bird, in winter dress, to illustrate the true Parus palustris of Linneus. In the 
Plate of P. borealis will be found a figure of the English Marsh-Titmouse side by side with true 
P. palustris and P. borealis, allin summer plumage. It will then be seen how much darker are 
English specimens than those procured on the Continent; and we trust that all our ornithological 
