[see COAL-MOUSE, TIT. After the corruption of col(e)mose to colemouse, the latter was often, for perspicuity’s sake, expanded to coal-titmouse, which again has been recently shortened to coal-tit.] A bird, the same as COAL-MOUSE.
[1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 125. I mean the great Titmouse called a Colmouse.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 243/1. The Bird Cole-Mouse … we in our Countrey call Tittimous or Mop.]
1777. Pennant, Zool. (1812), I. 535. The head of the cole titmouse is black.
1795. Catal. Zoolog. Museum Oxford St., 16. Cole Titmouse.
1826. Bewick, Brit. Birds (ed. 6), I. 278. Coal Titmouse.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXV. 3/2. The Great Tit … the Coal Tit … and the Bearded Tit are British. Ibid. The Coal-Titmouse … and the Marsh Titmouse all resort at times to buildings.
1845. Yarrell, Brit. Birds (ed. 2), I. 369. Cole-Tit.
