BRITISH BIRDS. 21 



are followed by good and not by bad results. For instance, 

 they do not strip a bough of all its buds, but merely thin 

 these out, which is exactly what the experienced gardener 

 does in his greenhouse ; but out of doors he lops away an 

 entire bough. Then every bud on a branch would not 

 result in a fruit, and by knocking off some the tit favours 

 the development of those that are left. 



If it were not for the visits of these active little birds, 

 every ^^g laid by a moth would in the spring hatch into a 

 caterpillar ; that repeated by millions would soon devastate 

 an orchard ; but the tits eat the eggs and prevent all this. 

 In severe weather it is a good plan to hang a piece of suet 

 in some convenient part of a garden, and the tits will flock 

 to it, and become objects of much interest to the]onlookers 

 by their agility and activity. 



All these birds can be brought up quite easily by hand 

 on ants' eggs, insects, and a little bread and milk ; but they 

 are too active for confinement, in which they seldom live 

 long, and everyone who destroys a tit is an encourager of 

 insects. 



THE NUT-HATCH. 



Another small family now engages our attention, namely 

 that of the nut-hatches, which is represented in this 

 country (Britain) by one genus of a single species only. 



Fami ly — Sittidce. 



Genus — Sitta, S. ccesia. Common Nut-Hatch. 



Upper parts bluish grey, brighter on the forehead ; cheeks 

 and throat white ; a black line, rising at the insertion of 

 the bill, crosses the eye and reaches to the back of the 

 neck ; the under parts are greyish orange. Length, 

 6| inches ; tail, \\ ; bill, |. 



