Titmice. 225 



position on record is that mentioned by the Rev. 

 F. O. Morris, when a blue-tit built its nest " within 

 the jaws of the skeleton of a man who had been 

 executed and hung in chains for murder." 



A remarkable instance of the persistence with 

 which these birds will use the same nesting-place 

 year after year is given in the fourth edition of 

 YarrelPs " British Birds/' the facts being as 

 follows: Either in 1779 or 1785, for on this 

 point accounts differ, a pair of blue-tits built their 

 nest in a large earthenware bottle which had been 

 left to drain in the branches of a tree in a garden 

 at Oxbridge, and, the bottle being allowed to 

 remain, they used it year by year for the same 

 purpose until 1822, when, the tree becoming 

 decayed, the bottle was placed in one near by, and 

 the tenancy continued, with only two interruptions, 

 until 1 873, the date of the publication of the book. 

 The nest is composed of moss, hair, and feathers,. 

 and in it the eggs, white, prettily spotted and 

 speckled with red, usually from seven to nine in 

 number, are placed. The hen bird, more especially 

 in the case of the blue-tit, is most courageous in 

 defence of her eggs and young, and will fight 

 stoutly if disturbed, puffing out her feathers and 

 hissing the while like a snake or an angry kitten, 

 and the boy who boldly puts his hand into the hole 

 containing her nest generally gets well pecked by 

 the irritated matron for his pains. This habit is 

 without doubt the origin of Billy Biter the school- 

 boy's name for the bird. She will not only fight 



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