But since these are such confiding little birds, coming to 
our very windows during the winter months, for food, a few 
notes concerning them may be acceptable. The commonest 
of all is the little blue-tit, or ‘“‘ tom-tit,”’ as it is so often called. 
Its beautiful cobalt-blue crown, blue back, wings, and tail, 
white face, and yellow breast are familiar to us all. Its 
larger relative, the great tit-mouse—the largest British tit- 
mouse—bears a close general resemblance to the smaller 
species, but is readily distinguished, not only by its greater 
size, but by the broad band of black running down the 
abdomen. Its flight, as of all the tit-mice, is weak and, 
as it were, uncertain, confined to short passages from tree to 
tree. The coal tit-mouse and the marsh tit-mouse are seldom 
recognized as distinct species, by the novice. They are very 
soberly coloured little birds, the coal-tit being of an olive- 
grey, tinged with olive-buff, while the sides of the body are 
buff: the head and throat are black, relieved by a broad 
patch of white on each side and down the nape of the neck. 
The marsh-tit is, to all intents and purposes, of the same 
coloration, but differs conspicuously in lacking the white 
patches. The tiny longtailed-titmouse cannot possibly be 
mistaken for any other bird. Its delicate hues of pink and 
grey, and extremely long tail, make comparisons with any 
other species unnecessary. 
Where, during the winter, small birds are tempted to 
221 
