156 THE NUTHATCH 



RESIDENT 

 USEFUL AND PARTLY INJURIOUS 



NUTHATCH. This bird is not frequently met with north of Lon- 

 don, and in the woods of southern and central England is becoming 

 rarer. The reason for this has been attributed to starlings turning 

 them out of the holes in trees they have chosen for their nest, another 

 reason is the bird-stuffer prompted by stuffed-bird fanciers, 

 and also bird millinery. Feeding mainly upon insects that infest 

 the stems and branches of trees, it is of great service to the forester 

 and also to the orchardist, while not prejudicing the fruit planta- 

 tions, except in respect of cob-nuts and filberts. This, however, 

 is not pronounced in districts where hazel-nuts, acorns, and beech- 

 mast are plentiful, so that the bird altogether is mcst useful, and 

 should be protected where not positively destructive. 



REDBREAST. Familiar and favoured throughout the country, 

 this bird is regarded generally as entirely harmless, but it will take 

 a heavy toll of red currants, and no worse pest exists in autumn 

 in a house of ripe grapes. It enters the structure by the side or 

 front ventilators, probably in quest of worms, not because the 

 ground is frozen, but from its prying into places for food easiest 

 obtainable. Once it tastes the grapes there is only two things for 

 it, either closely net over the ventilator-openings, or bait a few small 

 bird-traps with a berry secured by the shank to each. There is no 

 need to conceal the trap ; set it where easily seen by the robin, and 

 it will soon peck at tfce berry and be caught by the neck. This is 

 the only repressive measure we have found it necessary to take 

 against the robin, for the few currants it takes in the garden are 

 insignificant as compared with pilfering grapes. Circumstances 

 alter cases, for where there are berries of wild plants in the vicinity, 

 such as nightshade, spindle-tree, honeysuckle, and ivy, the birds 

 will forage more there than in the garden, though often, particularly 

 the young robins, seen hunting under currant and gooseberry bushes 

 and raspberries for insects ; indeed, the robin makes itself at home 

 about dwellings as well as copses and woods. 



BLUE TITMOUSE. In the woods and fields this bird is faultless. 

 In winter it hunts amongst the boughs and twigs of trees and in 

 hedges for woolly aphis (we have known it clear badly-infested 

 crab hedge-plants of this pest), crab-blossom weevil, aphis eggs, thrips, 

 moths their eggs, larvae, pupae or chyrsalis, scale, insect eggs, 

 spiders, also their eggs, including spinning mites, or so-called red 

 spiders ; pulls half-expanded buds of crab, wild pear, cherry, and 

 bullace buds to pieces in order to get at the recently hatched-out 

 insects, and some say " bigbud " on hazel invaded by phytopti, 

 thus assuming the blue titmouse has microscopic eyes. In sum- 

 mer it eats the caterpillars of the magpie and various other moths, 

 grubs of wood-loving insects, maggots in the round galls on oak, 



