142 THE BIEDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



59. BLUE TITMOUSE. 



Parus cceruleus. 



The Blue Titmouse, or, as it is most commonly 

 called by our country people, the " Bluecap,'" is more 

 abundant with us than the species last described, 

 and is one of the most amusing and attractive of our 

 smaller British birds. Under the head of " Blue 

 Titmouse," in YarrelTs ' British Birds,' 4th edition, 

 will be found a far more eloquent and logical defence 

 of this beautiful little bird against the persecution 

 which it suffers at the hands of gardeners and others 

 than it is in my power to write. I can only say that 

 I am fully persuaded of the truth of the main fact 

 therein maintained, viz. that this species is of in- 

 finitely more service than harm to the growers of 

 fruit and flowers. I believe that the Bluecap is by 

 nature entirely insectivorous, and have often observed 

 that in captivity it entirely rejects hemp-seed, which 

 the Great Titmouse seems to relish greatly. This 

 species is exceedingly fond of scraps of meat, and we 

 used often to observe it in considerable numbers, in 

 the winter months, busily engaged on the horseflesh 

 hung up near the gamekeeper's house for kennel use. 

 When engaged in its search for food it is by no 

 means shy, and may be closely observed, and a 

 family of Bluecaps swinging to and fro on the 

 waving twigs of some budding tree is, in its way, to 

 my mind, one of the prettiest sights to be met with 

 in our woods and gardens. The notes of this little 

 beauty at their best hardly amount to a song, the 

 best known being probably a harsh alarm-note, which 

 soon brings all the birds of the species and others 



