of the common Bottlet it. 201 



It is amusing, indeed, to observe these little fellows return- 

 ing at dusk to their wonted perch ; to see the family arrive 

 straggling to the spot, chirruping forth, as they approach, 

 their peculiar twittrr, but changing this note as they alight, 

 one after another, to a low, scarcely audible, soft twitter. They 

 are a long while, however, composing themselves to rest ; for, 

 like a brood of young birds which have just left the nest, 

 there is always a deal of shuffling for the inner berths ; those 

 on the outside continually flying up, and working their way 

 into the centre ; whereupon the two next succeed and do the 

 same ; and so they continue till it is almost dark, twittering 

 their soft note all the time, till on a sudden all is quiet. 

 During a whole winter, I have known a family of them resort 

 every evening to the same branch, where at length they were 

 barbarously shot by a bird-stuffer who had observed them. 



The tits have a regular roosting place ; and, in winter, at 

 least, invariably find their way into holes of some description. 

 So marked is this habit, that a marsh tit I once kept in con- 

 finement used, for a long while after he was imprisoned, to 

 retire every night to a tin seed-pan attached to his cage; cer- 

 certainly as inconvenient and chilly a couch, to all appearance, 

 as could be imagined. A great many find a comfortable shelter 

 in hay-ricks, and not a few under the tiled roofs of out-houses, 

 and other holes in buildings. Last November, as I was 

 rambling one evening, with a friend, under the precipitous 

 banks of red sandstone overhanging the Severn, while stop- 

 ping to contemplate a very curious vegetable production, a 

 little blue tit made its appearance, and manifested a deal 

 of anxiety, fluttering backwards and forwards, and chattering 

 as if to enquire what we did there. We hardly noticed it, till 

 by and by it flew to a hole in the bank, close to where I was 

 standing : it was afraid to enter, however, and, in a minute or 

 so, flew off again, chattering and scolding at us as before. 

 After a little while, it again flew to the bank, and entered the 

 hole; upon which I scraped away the sandstone, enlarging 

 the orifice till I could get in my hand ; whereupon I caught 

 the little fellow in his snug retreat, and drew him forth, biting 

 and screaming with all his might. My object in this was to 

 ascertain whether they lined their sleeping apartments, which 

 was not the case in this instance, though the hole had been 

 evidently enlarged and rendered commodious by means of the 

 bill. 



Among the jay-like propensities of the Pari, is their carni- 

 vorous appetite, which is particularly noticeable in the large 

 and blue species ; though I have never known either of them to 

 attack a live bird in their wild state, however unceremoniously 

 Vol. I. — No. 4. n. s. q 



