INSESSORES. PARIDÆ.
DENTIROSTRES.
. - __ .
TH E MARSH T IT .
Parus palustris, Marsh Titmouse, P enn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 536.
” t) J( ,, M ont. Ornith. Diet.
)f ,, ,, B ewick, Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 292.
it H )( „ F lem. Brit. An. p. 80.
)t M ,, Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol. i. p. 237.
if ' ,, ,, J enyns, Brit. Vert. p. 123.
,, ,, G ould, Birds of Europe, pt. xi.
„ Mésange nonnette, Temm. Man. d’Ornith, vol. i. p. 291.
T he Marsh T it, if not so generally distributed as some
others of the family, is yet plentiful as a species in many localities;
but, as its name implies, is more partial than the
other Tits described to low tracts of land covered with
thickets, to marshes, and moist meadows, bearing old willow
trees and alders, and to swampy ground near woods, but
apparently preferring shorter brushwood to high trees, occasionally
visiting orchards and gardens. The Marsh Tit, also,
like its generic companions, remains in this country throughout
the year; is, like them, active and sprightly in its habits,
flitting from place to place, feeding on insects in their various
stages, is said to be an enemy to bees, and when in the
garden, may be frequently seen feeding on the seeds of the
sunflower ; is observed, also, to be partial to the seeds of the
thistle; and in winter, according to Mr. Selby, it will eat
stale flesh.
This birdi makes its nest in holes in old willows, and in
the low scrubby stocks of pollard trees that have been headed
down, taking considerable pains in enlarging any suitable
cavity. Colonel Montagu says he has seen the Marsh Tit
excavating the decayed part of such trees, and artfully carrying
the chips in its bill to some distance, always working
downwards, and making the bottom for the reception of the
nest larger than the entrance. The nest is compactly formed
of moss and wool, lined with the soft seed-down of the willow.
The eggs are from five to eight in number, measuring
seven lines and a half in length, by six lines in breadth,
white, spotted with red. The female exhibits great attachment
to her nest, and is not easily induced to forsake it.
The call-note of this species is a single sharp chirp, like that
of the other Tits, and this bird is only to be distinguished
from them by its voice, when it puts forth a rapid succession
of notes, more remarkable for chattering gaiety than quality
of tone.
The Great Tit, the Blue, the Cole, the Marsh, and the
Long-tailed Tit, next to be described, are each of them
common around London; and when requiring additional
specimens for my use in this work, I found no difficulty in
obtaining pairs of each of them within a very short space of
time. A young ornithological friend of mine has given me
a list of birds observed by himself in Kensington Gardens,