BIRDS IN THE GREENWOODS 253 



being so tiny and delicate. However, he seems 

 busily examining the pine-needles, and this may be 

 either for minute insects upon them, or for the very 

 small buds which they bear. It is pleasant to watch 

 these little birds, and to hear their little needley note 

 of " tzee, tzee, tzee." Sometimes, however — but this 

 is more as spring comes on — they will fly excitedly 

 about amidst the trees and bushes, uttering quite a 

 loud, chattering note — far louder than one could have 

 expected from the size of the bird. 



Returning to our blue-tits on their alder-tree ; they 

 have all flown into it — being a band of about twenty 

 — from a small hawthorn-tree a few paces off. Ex- 

 cepting for some lichen here and there on its branches, 

 this hawthorn -tree is bare, and the birds seem far 

 more occupied in preening themselves, and in giving 

 every now and again the little birdy wipe of the bill 

 first on one side and then another of a twig or bough, 

 than in any serious " guttling." For this they fly to 

 the alder, where, at once, they are feeding busily. 

 But I notice that every now and again some few of 

 them fly back into the hawthorn, where they sit, a 

 little, preening themselves as before, before returning. 

 In fact, they use the hawthorn-tree as their tiring- 

 room, whilst the alder is the great banqueting-hall. 

 Once or twice — I think it was twice — I saw one dart 

 at another and drive it from its particular catkin. 

 As they had a whole large tree to themselves, this, 

 I think, was pretty good. 



But I have never seen the blue -tit behave so 

 prettily and airily with its catkins, as I have the 

 little willow-warbler in April. These little birds are 

 then constantly pursuing each other about through^- 



