THE COAL-TITMOUSE. 

 Parus ateVy Linnaeus. 

 Plate io. 



This Titmouse is found in most parts of the British Islands, and wherever 

 pine woods occur it may be said to be abundant. 



The Coal-Titmouse, or closely related races of the same species, is also met 

 with over a great part of Europe and Asia. 



The form of this bird with olive-brown back (the Parus brittanicus of Messrs. 

 Sharpe and Dresser) is the more common, while the grey-backed Continental 

 race has occurred in Norfolk, and this or intermediate forms are found commonly 

 in Scotland. 



At a meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club, in December 1910, Mr. 

 W. R. Ogilvie-Grant exhibited and described a new species of Titmouse from 

 Ireland {Parus hibernicus), two specimens of which he discovered among some 

 birds forwarded to the Natural History Museum by Mr. Collingwood Ingram 

 {Bulletin, B.O.C., xxvii. p. 37). These differ principally from our Coal-Titmouse 

 in having the light patches on the sides of the head and nape pale mustard- 

 yellow. 



It is, however, a matter of opinion as to whether this should be accepted as 

 a new species or not. 



The nest of the Coal-Titmouse, begun early in spring, is situated in a hole 

 in a wall or tree, often underground in some disused burrow of mouse, rabbit, 

 or mole, and is made of moss, wool, hair, and other materials. It contains from 

 six to eleven eggs, which are white, dotted over with red. 



The food consists mainly of insects, but it also eats seeds and nuts, and in 

 winter it will come readily to bones and pieces of fat. 



In spring it sings a pleasing little ditty, and, like the other Tits, is restless 

 and ever on the move. Although mostly found in pine woods, it may often be 

 seen among birches and alders, as well as in gardens and shrubberies. 



The male is slightly brighter in colour than the female. 



66 



