176 THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT 



tailed titmouse, which is almost as minute as the golden- 

 crowned wren : but the blue titmouse, or nun (Parus cceruleus'), 

 the cole-mouse (Parus ater), the great black-headed titmouse 

 (Parus fringillago, now major), and the marsh titmouse (Parus 

 2)alustris), all resort, at times, to buildings; and in hard 

 weather particularly. The great titmouse, driven by stress of 

 weather, much frequents houses, and, in deep snows, I have seen 

 this bird, while it hung with its back downwards (to my no 

 small delight and admiration), draw straws lengthwise from out 

 the eaves of thatched houses, in order to pull out the flies that 

 were concealed between them, and that in such numbers that 

 they quite defaced the thatch, and gave it a ragged appearance. 



The blue titmouse, or nun, is a great frequenter of houses, 

 and a general devourer. Besides insects, it is very fond of 

 flesh ; for it frequently picks bones on dunghills : it is a vast 

 admirer of suet, and haunts butchers' shops. When a boy, I 

 have known twenty in a morning caught with snap mouse- 

 traps, baited with tallow or suet. It will also pick holes in 

 apples left on the ground, and will be well entertained with the 

 seeds on the head of a sunflower. The blue, marsh, and great 

 titmice will, in very severe weather, carry away barley and oat 

 straws from the sides of ricks. 



How the wheatear and whinchat support themselves in 

 winter cannot be so easily ascertained, since they spend their 

 time on wild heaths and warrens ; the former especially, where 

 there are stone quarries : most probably it is that their main- 

 tenance arises from the aurelicc of the Lcpidoptera ordo, which 

 furnish them with a plentiful table in the wilderness. 



