i62 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



ference of opinion. Some observers assert warmly 

 that the Tits— the Blue Tit especially — so far from 

 being harmful in the garden, are of the greatest 

 possible use; that every bud destroyed contains the 

 egg, or larva, of some deleterious insect. Others, 

 again, including so distinguished an authority as 

 the veteran Mr. Tegetmeier, dispute this conclu- 

 sion; and, although my sympathies are altogether 

 with the defendants, I fear that the verdict of 

 acquittal can hardly be maintained. 



In captivity, if sufficient space be allowed him, 

 the Blue Titmouse thrives well, and soon becomes 

 quite tame. At one time I kept a number in an 

 aviary which adjoined the dining-room. By open- 

 ing the window the birds had access to the room, 

 and it was most interesting to see them exploring 

 all the recesses of the plaster-work of the ceiling in 

 search for unnoted spiders' webs. 



This little bird is a most devoted and courageous 

 parent. If an intruding hand invades the nesting- 

 hole when the hen is sitting, she will at once attack 

 it, hissing like a snake the while. The country 

 boys name her the Billy-biter. 



The Coal and Marsh Titmice bear a strong re- 

 semblance to each other, and are frequently con- 

 fused. Each is of an inconspicuous greenish-olive 

 hue, W'ith glossy black head and white cheeks, but 

 they may readily be distinguished by the fact that 

 in the Coal Tit the white extends in a broad band 

 to the back of the head, and the wings are also 

 barred with white. 



In times gone by the Coal Tit formed a fruitful 



