352 British Cage Birds. 



bars across the wings. The larger, or flying feathers of the 

 wings, are greenish brown, with a greyish tinge, and are bordered 

 with iron grey. The tail is blackish brown, edged with greyish 

 brown ; the sides and lower portion of the breast and belly are 

 white, tinged with reddish grey ; the vent is dirty white. The 

 legs and feet are leaden grey. The Cole Titmouse is a very 

 thoughtful and provident bird, and stores up food for the 

 winter ; this it secretes beneath the loose bark of fir trees, 

 in niches in walls, or holes in trees, or other convenient recep- 

 tacles which appear to it to afford security. The same 

 forethought is observable in the case of a bird of this species 

 confined in an aviary, for, as the winter approaches, if a 

 superfluity of 'food be provided, it will seek to hide it in 

 some secluded corner, behind or beneath a stone or tree 

 stump, or in a similar place. The same propensity is observ- 

 able in the other varieties of Tits. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Cole Titmouse is indigenous to 

 Great Britain, is common throughout Europe, and is also found 

 in some parts of America. It is very plentiful in the Midland 

 and Southern counties of England, and most abundant where 

 there are forests of oak or pine trees. It invariably selects 

 hilly ground abundantly clothed with woodland and coppice 

 as a habitation, for in such places it appears to love to dwell. 

 The Cole Titmouse may occasionally be seen in the vicinity of 

 orchards, gardens, and pleasure-grounds attached to suburban 

 mansions, but only in the latter part of autumn, in winter, 

 and during the early spring months, for it evidently enjoys 

 secluded haunts, only leaving them after the breeding season 

 is over, and its offspring fully matured. The Cole Titmouse 

 associates with the Golden-crested Wren and the Lesser Eed- 

 poll, and these three birds may frequently be seen travelling to- 

 gether in flocks in search of provender. When insect food is 

 not obtainable, the Cole Tit eats the seeds of several wild 

 plants which grow by the wayside and in ditches.. 



The nest is usually built in the holes of trees, not very far 

 from the ground, and sometimes among the dense underwood in 

 plantations, or in thickets ; other places selected are the sides 

 of banks or dykes, holes in rocks, or crevices in a dilapidated 

 wall surrounding a plantation or orchard, though this bird 

 has been known to build in a disused mole hill or a forsaken 

 rabbit burrow. 



