262 TITMOUSE. 



down of the willow and poplar, as also of the thistle ; these it entwines 

 with its bill, into a close body, strengthening the fabric outwardly 

 with small fibres, and roots of plants, and lining the whole with some 

 of the loose, soft down abovementioned : this is hung at the extreme 

 end of some weak branch, which projects over the water, and is 

 wholly covered, except a hole left for entrance, which appears on one 

 side, and generally that which faces the water; by this cautious 

 instinct, neither quadruped, nor reptile, will venture to attack it. 

 The eggs are generally four or five, perfectly white, and almost trans- 

 parent, and the bird said to have two broods in a year, the first in 

 April or May, the second in August. 



The nests are seen frequently in the marshes about Bologna, and 

 other places. The peasants thereabouts hold both bird and nest in 

 great estimation, hanging one of the latter near the door of their 

 huts ; as to the bird itself, it is accounted almost sacred, and they 

 behold it with that superstitious veneration, which is so commonly 

 the effect of unenlightened minds. 



17— LANGUEDOC TITMOUSE. 



Parus Narboniensis, hid. Orn. ii. 568. Gm. Lin. i. 1014. Tern. Man. d'Orn. 177. 



Id. Ed. ii. p. 301. 

 La Penduline, Buf. v. 433. Hist. Prov. i. 517. 

 Mesange de Languedoc, PI. enl. 708. 1. 

 Languedoc Titmouse, Gen. Syn. iv. 549. Shaw's Zool. x. p. 68. 



LENGTH four inches. Bill black, the edge of the upper man- 

 dible yellow brown ; top of the head grey ; upper parts of the body 

 rufous grey, beneath the same, but paler; wing coverts blackish, 

 with rufous margins ; the second quills like the coverts, but paler at 

 the ends ; the greater blackish, with whitish margins ; tail black, 

 but the feathers margined with rufous ; legs lead-colour. 



Inhabits Languedoc; is similar in manners to the Penduline 

 Species, and not inferior in respect to the nest, which is pretty large, 

 in comparison with the size of the bird : the shape is like the egg of 



