A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.

George Montagu

Date:: 1866

Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

383/440 page 355

$Ilewitson, xxxix. 151.] Panis cneruleua, Lin. Sijst. i. p. 311, 5; G7nel. Syst. ii. p. 1008 ; Eaii Syn. p. 71, A. 1; Will. P;.175, t, 13 ; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 500, 12 ; Bris. iii. p. 511, h-, lb. 8vo, i. p. 102; Nat. Miscel. t. 138; Bewick, Br. Birds, i. t. p. 218. La Mesange blene, Buf. v. p. 113. Blue Tit- mouse, Br. Zool. i. No. 103, t. 57, f. 2; Ih. fol. Ill, t. W. f. 5; Arct. Zool. ii. p. 127, U.; Will. Angl. p. 212, t 13 ; Alhin, i. t. 17; Hayes, Br. Birds, t. 38; Lath. Syn. iv. p. 513, 10; Don. Br. Birds, t, 57; Lewin, Br. Birds, iii. t. 120; Wale. Syn. ii. t. 215; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 10. Provincial: Tomtit; Nun; Hiokmall; Blue-cap; Tit- mal; Tinnock; 'VVillow-biter. Length about four inches and a half; weight three drams. The bill is dusky; hides dark hazel. Fore- head and cheeks white; that on the former inclines backwards, and fonns a line round the crown of the head, which is of a fine blue; behind the circle of white is another of a deep blue, surrounding the head en- th-ely, and joining the base of the under mandible, where it is nearly black; from the bill through the eye is a small black line; the back is of a yellowish green ; wings and tail blue; breast and belly yel- low; legs lead-colour. This bird would be much more admii-ed for its beauty if it was less common. In whiter it frequents houses for the sake of plunder; will devour flesh greedily, whether fresh or putrid; and indeed is omnivorous. Is a constant attendant where horse-flesh is kept for hounds, as well as the farm-yai'd, being pai-tial to oats, which it plucks out, and, retiiing to a neighbouring bush, fixes the grain between its claws, hammers it with the bill to break the husk. In the sum- mer insects are their chief food, in search of which it plucks off a number of young buds from fruit and other trees. The nest is always made in some hole either of a tree or wall, composed of moss, fined with feathers and hair. The eggs are six or seven in number, rai'ely eight, white, speckled with rust-colour at the larger end ; tlieir weight \eventeen grains. It lias been said this bird will sometimes lay as many as twenty eggs in the same nest; but this is certainly an error, for in the great abundance of nests we have seen with eggs and young, never more than eight were found. The female is tenacious of her nest, and will often suffer herself to be taken rather than quit it, and will fl-e- quently return again after being taken out. Upon such an occasion it menaces the invader in a singular manner, hissing like a snake, erecting all its feathers, and uttering a noise like the spitting of a cat; and if handled bites severely. It has no song, but makes a shrill note quickly re- peated. It is found in every part of Europe. 365 Titmouse, Cole.—[Yarrell, i. 394; Hew- itson, xxxix. 156.] Parus ater, Lin. Syst, i. p. 341, 7; Omel. Syst. ii. p. 1009 ; Raii Syn. p. 73, A. 2; Will. p. 175, t. 43 ; Ind. Om. ii. p. 504, 8. Parus atricapillus, Bris. iii. p. 551, 5 ; Ih. 8vo, i. p. 404. La petite Charbonniere, Buf. v. p. 400. Colemouse, Br. Zool. i. No. 164, t. 57, f. 3; Ih. fol. 114; Arct. Zool. ii. No. 327 ; Will. Angl. p. 241, t. 43; Lath. S7jn. iv. p. 540, 7; Lewin, Br. Birds, iii. 1.180; Wale. S7jn. ii. t. 240; Don. Br. Birds, iv. t. 79; Pult. Cat. Dorset. p. 10. — This species weighs about two drams and a quarter; length four inches and a quarter. The bill is dusky ; ii-ides hazel. Crown of the head glossy black, divided on the hind part with a white spot; the throat and under side of the neck black; cheeks white; back, rump, and tail of a bluish grey, inclining on the rump to a buff-colour; breast and belly of a yellowish w'hite ; the sides more yellow; quill-feathers like the tail; the coverts of the secondaiies, and the smaller co- verts immediately above them, are tipped with white; legs lead-colour. As this bird has been considered by some natu- ralists to be the same as the Mai’sh Tit- mouse, we shall remark that the head of this is invariably of a glossy black, that of the other is of a dull sooty black; the black under the chin extends much lower down in this, in both sexes, than in the other species; the white mark on the head in this is never to be found in either sex of the other; and the tail of this is nearly a quai-ter of an inch shorter. It must also be observed that in the nume- rous specimens we have examined no white was ever to be found on the coverts of the wings in the Marsh Titmouse, which is constantly met witli in this. But in the young of tliis species, before tire white spot is thrown out on the head, some white in the wings is visible; in which state a figure is given in the folio 'edition of the ‘British Zoology’ for the Marsh Titmouse. Mr. 'Willughby has well defined the distinction of these birds. Di‘. Latham seems to have doubted the dis- tinction, and upjrears to be the more con- firmed in the opinion from an error in Sepp, who has given a figure of each as male and female. We can, however, with certainty refute this opiuioir from various oppor-tunities of attending to the nests of both species. The nest of this bird is irlaced in some hole, either in a wall or a tree ; is composed of moss and wool, fined witlr hair; the eggs are six or seven in number, less than those of tho Mor'sh Tit- mouse, of tho same colour, white spotted with rusty red; but the spots are smaller and more numeroits; their weight fourteeri or fifteen grains. Tho Colemouse is not$