GEEAT TITMOUSE 97 



This Titmouse is a great mimic, and many persons 

 have mistaken its voice for other birds. An instance is 

 recorded of one observed at Boxley, in Kent, which was 

 heard to imitate the alarm-note of the Flycatcher ; 

 another is given by Captain H. W. Hadfield in the 

 Zoologist, 1857, of it imitating a Woodpecker or Nuthatch 

 on the branch of a tree ; he says : " When walking this 

 afternoon (January 1, 1857) in Summerhill Park, Ton- 

 bridge, my son directed my attention to a sharp tapping 

 sound proceeding apparently from one of the lofty oaks 

 with which this beautiful domain abounds, and on going 

 with cautious steps to the foot of one of them, I per- 

 ceived, not a Woodpecker or a Nuthatch, as I had at 

 first imagined it might be, but a Tomtit, clinging to one 

 of the topmost branches, whether hollow or not I had 

 no means of ascertaining, but, judging from the loud 

 vibrating sounds, I should conclude it was. That the 

 little creature was endeavouring, after the manner of the 

 Woodpecker, to rouse and bring to the surface its insect 

 food, there can, I think, be little reason to doubt ; but 

 that so diminutive a bird, or, rather, one with so small a 

 bill, should have the power of making so far-sounding 

 a noise is, I think, somewhat remarkable." 



It nests more frequently in very old timbered woods, 

 especially in old pollard willow stumps, and in many 

 cases the nest is not easy to procure. 



The subjoined strange particulars respecting a supposed 

 nest of this bird appeared in the Zoologist, 1870, and 

 will be read, no doubt, cum grano sails : — 



Bird's Nest in Solid Wood. — "A curious discovery has 



recently been made at Chislehurst, in Kent. A large 



elm tree in the churchyard was cut down, and a bird's 



nest with seven eggs was found completely embedded, 



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