THE BLUE TIT. 87 



The Blue Tit prefers cultivated districts, and is to be 

 seen wherever timber or hedgerows are found. At night it 

 roosts in ivy, or the holes of walls, trees, or haystacks, 

 under the eaves of thatched houses, or in any snug corner 

 that can be discovered. Its food consists of chrysalides, 

 caterpillars, spiders, moths, and other insects and their 

 eggs. They are also fond of maize, and will frequent the 

 feeding places of poultry or pheasants for the purpose of 

 obtaining it. It is interesting toVatch the way in which 

 this little bird deals with maize : it takes one piece in its 

 beak, flies to some neighbouring bough, and holding the 

 corn firmly with its claws, pecks the " eye " out only, then 

 letting the remainder fall to the ground, immediately pro- 

 ceeds in search of another. ' In the autumn they may be 

 observed in small parties visiting the gardens in the south 

 of England in quest of insect food, and on these occasions 

 they follow one another from place to place with the most 

 amusing persistency. 



The length of this elegant little bird is about four and 

 a half inches, and the plumage handsome and striking ; 

 the bill is dusky ; forehead and cheeks white, the feathers 

 forming a line round the crown of the head, which is of a 

 clear blue ; behind this there is a circle of blue surrounding 

 the head and joining in front, where it is nearly black ; 

 from the beak through the eyes is a black line ; iris, dark 

 brown ; back, yellowish-green ; quills, black with bluish 

 edges, and wings, blue edged with white; the under parts 

 of the body are yellow, and the tail blue ; legs and toes; 

 are a leaden blue. The female is smaller than the male, 

 has less blue on the head, and is less brightly coloured. 

 The young resemble the female, but their colours are still 

 duller and tinged with grey. The Blue Tit varies con- 



