6 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. 



delicious morsels, in the shape of wood-lice and spiders, grubs and 

 maggots, and such like dainty fare. He visits the gardens and orchards 

 when the buds are on the trees, and picks off a great many, but 

 then they are mostly rotten at the core; he knows that there is a 

 maggot inside of each, which will prevent its coming to perfection. 

 But it is in the woods that the greater part of his life is spent. 

 He is not a very sociable bird, is much oftener alone than in com- 

 pany of others, even of his own kith and kin. 



When the time comes for nesting, he and Mrs. Tom just look out 

 for a suitable place, which will probably be a hole in some old wall, or a 

 cavity in a decayed tree, which may furnish at once lodging and food. 

 Then they get together a little of any soft stuff they can lay their 

 bills on — moss, feathers, leaves, or hair ; of these they make a loose 

 kind of nest, or merely line the cavity chosen. Sometimes the deserted 

 habitation of a Crow or Magpie is taken possession of; an old flower 

 pot, a broken bottle, the hollow of a pump where the handle works 

 up and down, a Grecian vase in a garden, a letter-box, almost any- 

 thing and everything which will afford the needful shelter; and 

 there the hen will sit upon her eggs, in number from sis to eleven 

 or more, of a white colour, with reddish brown spots all over them, 

 careless of prying eyes, or even of curious fingers, at which she will 

 peck fiercely if they are intruded within her nest. Meanwhile the male 

 takes up his station not far off, and is ready to do battle with all 

 comers who threaten his mate or offspring. 



Some have likened the spring call of this bird to " oxeye, oxeye, 

 oxeye," hence its most popular name. This has been heard even as 

 early as the 24th. December, when the ice was an inch thick on the 

 ponds. This call consists of a high and low note, and may be heard 

 half a mile away. Some country people call the bird Sit-ye-down, from 

 a faijcied resemblance of one of its calls to this compound word. 



THE BLUE TIT, 



(PciiHS ctrru/i't/s.) 

 PLATE I. — FIGURE II. 



Tins bird, which is perhaps the best known of the Tit family, has 

 a variety of popular names, such as Blue-cap and Blue-bonnet, from 



