1904-1905.] The Utility of the Tit Tribe. 195 



by sawing off the two ends of a cocoa-nut and suspending it 

 in the garden in sight of our windows, and when the nut 

 itself is eaten we fill the shell with suet or cheese, both 

 equally acceptable to the birds. It is not unusual to see a 

 tit feeding at each end of the nut. To encourage them to 

 build near us, I fixed a small box in a Virginian creeper 

 growing against the house, having a circular side-hole 1^ inch 

 diameter bored into it. I found a hole of this size would ad- 

 mit Panis cceruleus, but not sparrows. A pair of these pretty 

 birds built in it last summer, and I observed them for some 

 time carrying food in for their numerous young. To give 

 some idea of their utility to gardeners, I may mention that 

 I have observed one or more green caterpillars carried in by 

 the old birds eight times in five minutes ; and when we 

 consider the number of hours this daily goes on, and the 

 number of days taken to rear the young, which are fed for 

 some time after leaving the nest, we can form some idea how 

 useful these birds are in our gardens, and how well they 

 merit every protection we can give them. I noticed seven 

 young ones sitting in a neighbouring plum-tree being fed by 

 their parents, and there may have been more. They have 

 been accused of killing worker-bees; but this I believe to 

 be a pure mistake. They will eat dead worker- bees and 

 living drones, but will not attack a live stinging -bee. I 

 have kept the great and blue tits in a large aviary for many 

 months, in which I have repeatedly put living worker-bees, 

 but never could induce them to touch one. It is said that 

 they peck the hives to induce the bees to come out in the 

 winter, and then devour them. I have kept bees for fifty 

 years, and do not consider tits as enemies. "We know that 

 when these insects come out on a fine day in winter, their 

 first act is to carry out all dead ones from the hive, which 

 are eagerly devoured by the tits, and this may have been 

 the origin of the error. I have seen them, and also fly- 

 catchers, and even sparrows, catch and devour drones, but 

 not live worker -bees, and venture to think it an unjust 

 accusation. 



There is in the north of Europe a pretty species of tit, the 

 azure tit (Farus cyamcs), which I have often thought mi^ht 

 be successfully introduced into this country by some one 



