COAL TITMOUSE. 109 



the apiculturalist ; Mr. F. Boyes narrates a rather peculiar 

 instance of one being killed by the bees whose hive it had 

 visited once too often, on bee-murder intent ; a trap being 

 set, it was caught by the leg, and the infuriated inhabitants 

 of the hive revenged themselves by stinging it to death before 

 Mr. Boyes could effect its rescue. In the Rectory garden at 

 Ripley, in 1902, the Rev. W. T. Travis shewed me some 

 hives where the Great Tits had actually broken their way 

 in to feed on the inmates. These birds have been known also 

 to attack wasps and destroy their nest. (Nat. 1889, p. 333.) 



Like its Blue cousin, this bird sometimes makes use of 

 curious nesting sites, and of these one or two examples will 

 suffice to illustrate this phase in its character. One, recorded 

 by Mr. W. H. St. Quintin at Scampston, was in the cup of 

 a deserted Blackbird's nest ; another was found near York 

 under a flower-pot on the carcases of a rat and a hedgehog 

 (Zool. 1882, p. 353) ; and I am enabled to figure one superposed 

 on the nest of a Thrush built in a cluster of honeysuckle, at 

 Bilton Banks, near Harrogate, in 1902, and photographed 

 by Mr. R. Fortune. 



Local names : Greater Tit, Tom Tit, Billy Biter, Oxeye, 

 and Blackcap are in general use ; it is Black-capped Billy 

 in the West Riding ; and Greater Billy Bluecap in Nidderdale ; 

 Saw-whetter at Ackworth ; and Saw-whet at Eavestone, 

 near Ripon. 



COAL TITMOUSE. 

 Parus ater (Z.). 



Resident ; common, generally distributed in suitable localities, 

 except in West Yorkshire, where it is local in summer. 



The earliest allusion to the Coal Tit in connection with 

 this county is found in a communication from Dr. Sherard, 

 the eminent botanist, to Walter Moyle, a Cornishman and 

 ornithologist of eminence. It is dated " London, May 10, 

 1720," and runs as follows : " Sir, .... Having received 

 a letter from my old friend, Dr. Richardson of North Bierley 



