DETAILED LIST OF BIRDS. 
231 
zone of red blotches, spots, and streaks. Spots and specks 
of the same colour, or occasionally of a pale purple, are 
scantily sprinkled over the rest of the surface of the egg, 
being most numerous in the neighbourhood of the zone. 
The eggs have a faint gloss. Some do not exhibit the 
zone above referred to, but even in these the markings are 
much most numerous and dense towards the large end. 
They vary in size from 0 65 to 0*85 in length, and from 
0*5 to 0'58 in breadth. As regards the habits and nidi- 
fication of this species in the Nielgherries I cannot do better 
than reproduce some remarks by my fair correspondent. 
Miss Cockburn : — " This is an extremely lively and active 
bird, suspending itself in all kinds of attitudes, and flitting 
from spray to spray continually. Surely no poor helpless 
insect can screen itself from the sharp, piercing eye of this 
little devourer, who always looks even at the backs of leaves, 
as if he knew by experience that many an unfortunate 
caterpillar attempted to take refuge there. I have often 
watched them on the trellises of my window, prying into 
every corner, and many a hairy caterpillar, which I could 
not see, has been surprised by a peck on its head, and 
dragged from its hiding-place into the light of day, where 
it receives many knocks against some thick branch of the 
jasmine, after which the murderer holds it with his feet, 
and, commencing at the head, draws out and devours the 
entrails. He then drops the skin, and, having wiped his 
beak, proceeds in search of another. They also feed on 
spiders and any soft-bodied insects, and are clever in shel- 
ling peas and eating the contents. The merry notes of this 
bird enliven woods and gardens, particularly those which 
sound exceedingly like ' Cheery, cheery, cheery.'' Their 
nests are found in deep holes in earth banks, and some- 
times in stone walls. Once a pair took possession of a 
bamboo in one of our thatched out-houses — the safest place 
they could have chosen, as no hand could get into the small 
hole by which they entered. These Tits show great affec- 
tion and care for their young. While hatching their eggs, 
if a hand or stick is put into the nest they rise with enlarged 
throats, and, hissing like a snake, peck at it till it is with- 
