11 
other small birds, the Sparrow shews a bold disregard that is far 
from engaging our affections ; as if our kindness and our enmity were 
alike despised. Instances are not wanting, however, of great 
attachment on the part of caged Sparrows for persons by whom 
they have been reared.” 
The last bird that I shall bring before you to-night is the Blue 
Tit, Parus ceeruleus, a charming little creature, and one of the 
most interesting and amusing of birds. Its total weight, feathers 
and all is under half an ounce. Its plumage is very pretty indeed 
and almost brilliant, but in the town it suffers from the smoke like 
other birds, and the brighter and whiter colours get very dark and 
dirty. The most interesting of its habits are those connected with 
its climbing and hanging on to the twigs, branches, or whatever 
else it clings to. It seems generally to prefer being upside down, 
and it twists and turns and pecks, and drops off or flies off all with 
such rapidity that the eye can scarcely follow it. If it succeeds in 
getting a nice piece of suet or a crumb of bread in its beak it will 
fly away with it to a neighbouring branch, and there holding it 
with the claws of one foot against the branch peck away at it and 
enjoy it in the prettiest, daintiest way imaginable, like a hawk 
with its foot on its prey in miniature. The Blue Tit is very pug- 
nacious, and very bold, often pecking vigorously at a bird ten times 
its size. Its nest has been built in most remarkable places, and 
the eggs hatched, and the young fed and brought up under cir 
cumstances of extraordinary difficulty. I have myself seen one 
flying in and out of the top of a gas lamp in Coolinge Road which 
was lighted every night. But sometimes the bird has had to fly 
positively through the flame to get in and out. The inside of a 
wine bottle with a long neck has sufficed for the successful hatching 
and bringing up of one family. The most effectual means that I 
know of for watching the amusing ways of this little bird is to hang 
a piece of suet placed on a small piece of wire on to the branch of 
a tree near one’s window. Fifty or a hundred times a day will 
this be visited in a favoured spot by this bird, and no other except 
its three relations, the Great Titmouse, Cole Tit and Marsh Tit. 
I will conclude this disjointed paper with a short poem of the late 
Lord Tennyson which I select because of its pleasing references to 
the world of Nature. 
The rain had fallen, the Poet arose, 
He passed by the town and out of the streat, 
A light wind blew from the gates of the sun 
And waves of shadew went over the wheat 
And he sat him down in a lonely place, 
And chanted a melody loud and sweet, 
That made the wild swan pause in her cloud, 
And the lark dropt down at his feet. 
