WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



the first comers lying broken on the ground 

 and the unscrupulous starlings rearranging 

 and adding to the nest to suit themselves. 

 However, the hissing noise must be start- 

 ling for such intruders. It is curious what 

 a number of creatures make a snake -like 

 hiss when they want to bluff animals bigger 

 than themselves out of attacking. Take the 

 sitting wild duck, the domestic cat, and the 

 ferret as examples. These widely separated 

 creatures all hiss and spit when they want to 

 intimidate an enemy. For its size not one 

 puts up a better bluff than the great tit, unless 

 it is its smaller relation the blue tit, which can 

 also make a most effective hiss. Even when 

 one knows what to expect, you cannot help 

 starting at such a strange noise coming from 

 a mere bird, and anybody not knowing would, 

 I am sure, have thought there was a snake 

 down our yard pump whenever the great tit 

 made this noise. 



Before going on to tell about the young 

 great tits it may be as well to say the great 

 tit is the largest of our British tits, it is alto- 

 gether a stronger, bigger, and longer-legged 

 bird than any of the others ; it is also a very 

 smart creature in its blue-grey plumage, with 

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