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NATURAL HISTORY. 



Sub-family d. Parince. 



PARUS. 



Major (Lat. greater], the Great Titmouse. 



The birds of the family of the TITS are remarkable for their 

 active habits among the branches of trees. There are few who 

 have not seen these beautiful and interesting little birds twist- 

 ing round the branches, perfectly unconcerned at the presence 

 of the spectator, sometimes hanging, head downwards, some- 

 times chasing an unlucky beetle along the bark, and invariably 

 catching it, in spite of its swift limbs and active wings ; some- 

 times twisting off a bud, and pulling it to pieces with marvel- 

 lous rapidity, in order to secure the lurking caterpillar within ; 

 sometimes pecking away at a piece of loose bark, and extract- 

 ing an unwilling spider by one of its legs, left incautiously pro- 

 jecting from its lurking-place. Pity it is that their funny little 

 sharp beaks should ever be put to worse uses ; but they lie 

 under a grave imputation of using these very beaks in the 

 slaughter of the defenceless young of other birds. 



The GREAT TITMOUSE is common in England, frequenting 

 gardens, orchards, copses, &c. During the spring it is very 

 active in the capture of insects, but in autumn and winter it 

 is forced to content itself with grains and seeds of. various 

 descriptions. Gilbert White, in his " Selbourne," mentions 

 that he has seen the Great Tit " while it hung with its back 



