THE COAL TIT. 33 



No sooner said than done: I carried the cage con- 

 taining the Tits out into the garden, and having opened 

 its door placed it on the floor of the aviary (the inner 

 compartment), when the little prisoners quickly availed 

 themselves of the chance and flew out with triumphant 

 notes of congratulation that were soon exchanged for 

 a twitter of vexation when they found that they had 

 only got out of a small prison into one of a larger 

 kind. 



The Coal Tit, however, soon reconciles itself to the 

 inevitable, and when they had thoroughly surveyed and 

 explored every nook and corner of their new abode they 

 commenced to feel hungry, and began to search for 

 something fit to eat, and were presently rewarded for 

 their exertions by the discovery of an abundant supply of 

 hemp-seed and other delicacies, including some German 

 ants' eggs, in the inner portion of the aviary. 



The little couple partook of an abundant repast, and it 

 being then about bedtime at once took possession of a 

 neatly constructed dwelling that belonged to a pair of 

 Weaver-birds whom they successfully kept out of their 

 abode, which the Tits ever afterwards appropriated to 

 their own use. 



I kept them throughout the summer and although 

 I occasionally noticed a Waxbill somewhat bare of 

 feathers on the crown of the head, and found a broken 

 egg on the floor, I had no reason to suspect my little 

 pair of British birds of being the cause of either disaster, 



3 



