194 '^^^^ Utility of the Tit Tribe. [Sess. 



first pointed out to me. It is capable of filling up any vacant 

 space caused by digging any part of it. This, I may men- 

 tion, is a process which I have frequently put to the test, and 

 so can speak with experience of the result. There is thus 

 complete establishment of a habitat, and not only so, but there 

 is also a vigorous form of development which shows itself in 

 readily filling up the vacancies. I also find that a certain 

 number of flowers every year vary much, in accordance with 

 the earliness or lateness of the season. But so far as the fruit 

 is concerned, I have only seen in an occasional season any 

 berries at all, and never a properly matured one. It is in the 

 colder seasons that stray flowers are enabled to form a berry. 

 The peculiarity is, that after flowering the peduncle breaks 

 through, and the fading flower or partially formed berry 

 falls off. 



I hope that botanists will take a careful look in other 

 places to see whether they can find this plant upon other 

 moors, as well as in this county. 



At this meeting Mr Hippolyte J. Blanc, E.S.A., gave a 

 lecture on Melrose Abbey, illustrated by a large number of 

 very beautiful lantern slides. 



Nil.— THE UTILITY OF THE TIT TBIBE. 



By Mr A. B. HERBERT, Honorary Member. 



{Read March 22, 1905.) 



We have four species of these pretty and extremely useful 

 little birds constantly around our country houses — viz., the 

 great tit (Farus major), the blue tit {Farus cceruleus), the cole 

 tit {Farus ater), and the marsh tit {Farus palustris), — the two 

 first named the most common, the last the rarest ; and all, 

 being insectivorous, well deserve every protection we can 

 give them. They are fed by us during the winter mainly 



