"TITMOUSE. PASSERES. PARUS. 227 
p. 536. 1.—Mond. Ornith. Dict. v. 2.—Aibin. 1. t. 46.—Haye’s Br. Birds, 
t. 38.—Pult. Cat. Dorset. p. 10.—Bewich’s Br. Birds, 1. p. _t. 237. 
The disposition of the well-contrasted colours in this Tit- 
mouse renders it one of the handsomest, not only of its genus, 
but of our British birds. —It is very common throughout the Locality. 
kingdom in all wooded and enclosed districts, but, in the more 
open parts of the country, comparatively of rare occurrence. 
—Its food, during the greater part of the year, consists of Food. 
insects and larvee, which it finds upon the foliage, or in the 
interstices of the bark of trees. It frequently associates with 
others of its tribe, displaying similar. attitudes, and exerting 
equal activity in search of its prey. In autumn, and during 
winter, it subsists upon grain, nuts, and: other seeds, and I 
have frequently seen it enjoying a repast on carrion, or other 
animal remains.—It sometimes also will attack a bird its in- 
ferior in size, or one in a sickly state, fracturing its skull by 
repeated strokes of its pointed bill. Its usual call-note is a 
kind of chatter, similar to, but louder than, that of the blue 
titmouse. But in spring, as the pairing season approaches, 
it uses a great variety of notes or calls, amongst which is one 
closely resembling the spring-call of the chaffinch, sounding 
like the word Pink ; and another not unlike the jarring noise 
produced in the sharpening of a saw. 
It breeds in the holes of decayed trees, or in those of old 
and ruinous walls; and in the former case, the excavation is 
made by the bird itself, which I have repeatedly seen busily 
engaged in this task, and have admired the rapidity with 
-which the work advanced. The hole is often of considerable 
depth, and at the bottom (where it is rather enlarged) the 
nest is placed; the materials of which are moss, hair, and Nest, &c. 
feathers. ) 
The eggs, from six to eight in number (but, according to 
_ Tremmuinckx, from six to fourteen or fifteen), are white, spotted 
with reddish-brown, and scarcely to be distinguished from 
those of the nut-hatch. This species is found throughout 
Europe,. but. more abundantly in its cold and temperate re- 
gions. It is also said to be met with in Africa, in the neigh- 
PR 
