18 Titmice. 



insects of all kinds that they were glad enough to let the titmice 

 live in peace for the future and extirpate the insects. Another 

 example of the use of these and other small birds was the failure 

 of the corn croi)s in parts of France not long ago, when the farmers 

 killed all the birds they could. 



But to return more closely to ray subject. The blue tit's nest 

 is always made in a hole of a tree or wall, or sometimes under the 

 eaves of a low cottage, but they never build at a great height from 

 the ground. The female is so tenacious of her nest that she will 

 often allow herself to be taken off it rather than fly away, and will 

 frequently return again immediately after being taken out of her nest. 

 She menaces every intruder in a singular manner, hissing like a 

 snake, erecting her feathers, and uttering a noise resembling the 

 spitting of a cat, biting at the same time severely if handled. This 

 bird is very expert in taking food from underneath a brick or net trap, 

 and often when they have succeeded in getting a piece of bread, or 

 grain of corn, the chaffinches and sparrows, who are too cunning 

 to go to the trap themselves, follow, and by their superior strength 

 take it from the poor titmouse, who has to return for more, and 

 comes out again only perhaps to be treated in the same way again. 

 The blue tit begins its nest in March or April, and generally chooses 

 the same place for several successive years if not disturbed. The 

 number of eggs seldom exceeds eight in the early nests, and six 

 in the second, or later brood. The entire length of the blue tit- 

 mouse is 4j inches, an inch longer than the golden-crested wren. 



The next species I shall mention is the long-tailed titmouse 

 (Parus caudatus). This bird is known all over Europe, and in the 

 northern and temperate parts of Asia. Much affection seems to 

 exist among the members of each family, and they always roost 

 together. Their movements are very quick, but they are not cruel 

 or quarrelsome like the tom-tits. They have very little fear of 

 man, but on the approach of a bird of prey fly into the thickest 

 part of the nearest bushes, uttering cries of alarm. Their food 

 consists of insects and their eggs and larvae, and they ought to be 

 cherished by all possessors of fields or gardens, for there is scarcely 

 a more determined enemy to the many noxious insects which 

 destroy the fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Fortunately for our- 

 selves, the long-tailed titmouse is very fond of the various saw-flies 

 that work such mischief among our fruit trees, and often lay waste 

 whole acres of gooseberry bushes, and it is hardly an exaggeration 

 to say that to a possessor of an orchard, or a fruit-garden of any 

 kind, every long-tailed titmouse is worth its little weight (about two 

 drachms) in gold. Were it only for the beauty of the little bird 

 and its nest, it would be worthy of preservation ; but when we 

 come to consider the good it does us, we should be devoid of grati- 

 tude and common sense to kill our feathered benefactor. 



