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COLE TITMOUSE. 
flanks, with the exception of the mesial line, 
sulphur yellow ; the vent and under tail coverts 
white ; the shoulders, edges of the lesser coverts, 
and quills, bluish gray, giving that tint to the 
wing when closed, which is interrupted by a pale 
yellowish white band formed by the tips of the 
lesser coverts ; quills and secondaries black, the 
latter broadly edged with yellowish green ; tail 
black, feathers edged with bluish gray ; the tip 
and exterior web of the outer feather pure white ; 
feet and legs strong, and of a clear lead colour. In 
the female, the distribution of colours is similar, but 
not so clear and defined. The size is slightly less. 
The Cole Titmouse — Parus ater, Will. 
— Parus ater, Will. Linn. fyc. — Mesange petit 
Charbonniere, Puff. Temm. Sfc. — Cole Titmouse 
or Colemouse of British authors. — This little 
species we think to be the most abundant, or 
one which, in winter at least, is seen in greater 
profusion in the south of Scotland than any of 
the rest of the tribe. Ten or twelve years since, 
it was by no means common, and its frequency 
now may be accounted for by the increasing age 
of the plantations, and by the immense quantity 
of wood which has been lately planted, and which 
is now rapidly advancing to maturity. The Cole 
Titmouse is, generally speaking, pretty evenly 
distributed over the British islands, where the 
localities are suitable ; it is found in most of the 
English counties,* is common in Ireland,! an( * 
* Yarrell, British Birds, p. 338. t Thomson. 
