304. 



HABITS OF THE BLUE TITilOUSE. 



were seen to visit their nest four luuidred and seventy-five times, never bringing less 

 than one large caterpillar, and generally two or three small ones. These birds, therefore, 

 destroyed, on the average, upwards of five liundred caterpillars daily, being a minimum of 

 fifteen thousand during the few weeks emploj^ed in rearing their young. 



"While searching for insects, the Blue Titmouse often bites away the buds of fruit- 

 trees, together with pears and apples, but in almost every case it seeks to devour, not the 

 fruit, but a maggot which lies concealed within it, and which, if not destroyed, would not 

 only injui-e the particular fruit, but would also destroy many others by means of its future 

 progeny. The food of this bird is of a most multifarious character, for the Blue Titmouse has 

 been known to eat eggs, other birds which it kills when young or disabled, meat of various 

 kinds, for which it always haunts the knackers' yards and country slaughter-houses, peas, 

 oats, and the various kinds of food which are to be found in farmyards. So fund is it of fat 

 meat, that a piece of beef siiet is an unfailing bait which always succeeds in attracting the Tit- 

 mouse into tlie jaws of tlie trap. It has even been known to peck holes in hens' eggs, for 



the purpose of eating the contents ; 

 but on account of the large size 

 of the eggs, it was not able to attain 

 its purpose. I have even seen the 

 Titmice unite against a tame hawk 

 which I kept, assault him simul- 

 taneously, and carry off the piece 

 of meat which had just been given 

 to him. 



It is a very pugnacious little 

 bird, and is always ready for a com- 

 bat with any one of its own kind. 

 But in the breeding season its com- 

 bative character is developed to 

 the fullest extent, and the tiny blue 

 creature will boldly attack a man 

 if he should haj)pen to a^jproach 

 too near the nest. Should the 

 position of the nest be discovered, 

 and the hand inserted in order to 

 feel for the eggs, the mother-bird 

 utters a sharjj, angry hiss, and 

 bites so sharply at the intruding 

 fingers that tliey are generally 

 hastily %nthdrawn, under the im- 

 pression that a viper has been the 

 hidden aggressor. Small as is the bird, her beak is so sharp and strong that it can cause 

 considerable pain, and has earned for the bird the provincial name of Billy Biter. I once 

 got the tips of my fingers sadly maltreated by a female Titmouse, while I was trying to 

 feel the position of the eggs. 



The nest of this species may be found in the most extraordinary localities, such as 

 hollow trees, holes in old walls, the interior of disused spouts, sides of gravel-pits, the hat 

 of a scarecrow, the inside of a porcelain jar, or the cylinder of a pump. One bird 

 had actually chosen a bee-hive as its residence, and had succeeded in building its nest and 

 rearing its young while surrounded by the bees going to and returning from their work. 

 Another Titmouse contrived to get into a weathercock on the summit of a spire, and there 

 made its nest in security. The (!ggs are small and rather numerous, being generally about 

 eight or ten, but sometimes exceeding the latter number. 



The bird is readily tamed, as mav be seen by the following anecdote related by i\lr. 

 Ihompson. 



" One of the ' Falls,' when let out of the cage in summer, roosted upon tlie top ; but in 

 winter, altliough in a warm room, selected the hottest place in whicli it could remain 



BLUE TITMOUSE.— Pfirus aemkus. 



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