13 O A. 



5.35 



for a future occasion what they cannot eat, all strongly 

 remind us of the jays au<l magpies, and together con- 

 fer a peculiar interest on this diminutive but pleasing 

 group. The present species, perhaps, feeds less on 

 oleaginous seeds than some of the others, but it may 

 nevertheless be well termed omnivorous ; it, subsists 

 in the spring 1 and summer chiefly on insect food, to 

 obtain which, in winter, it often pulls off the buds of 

 trees, whence it has generally by horticulturists been 

 considered an enemy ; but we think inconsiderately, 

 for, as is well observed by an eminent naturalist, Mr. 

 Selby, "the trifling injury sometimes committed by 

 the abrasion of a few blossom-buds, is more than 

 compensated by the destruction of innumerable larva 1 , 

 and eggs of the insect tribe, which are usually depo- 

 sited in or about those essential parts of fructification ; 

 and which, if allowed to proceed through the neces- 

 sary changes, would effectually check all hope of 

 produce." Moreover, we are inclined very much to 

 question whether they ever do attack any buds but 

 those on which they perceive the traces of an insect; 

 for we have frequently observed them.when searching 

 for their food upon the fruit trees, to pass by in suc- 

 cession many whole spurs full of blossom-buds, arid 

 then to attack eagerly a particular one, on which they 

 no doubt perceive evident indications of the destroyer 

 lurking within. 



The blue titmouse feeds also on various kinds of 

 fruit ; and at the approach of winter w ill eat many 

 farinaceous seeds, and even swallow corn whole; be- 

 ing particularly fond of oats, the husks of which it 

 will sometimes hold fast between both feet in the 

 usual manner of the genus, whilst it picks out the 

 grain. It bcciunes very bold as the season advances, 

 and frequents out-foottses, and (lust bins, and butchers' 

 shambles, carry iiui - off pieces of suet, picking bones, 

 and eating all munner of garbage, and still searching 

 every chink and cranny for the grubs of insects. It 

 is a constant attendant wherever horse-flesh is kept 

 for the hounds; and sometimes even evinces a san- 

 guinary propensity, by attacking other small birds, 

 when it finds them incapable of resistance, and after 

 having killed them by repeated blows on the skull, 

 devouring their flesh. We have noticed this likewise 

 in other species of 1'anm, but nevertheless consider 

 it to be of very rare occurrence, not one individual 

 in fifty, perhaps, ever displaying any hostile feeling 

 towards other birds. 



The nest is generally situate in the holes of trees, 

 or old walls, the former of which it often cnl 

 and sometimes almost wholly excavates for itself, if 

 the wood is soft and decayed. It is composed of 

 various mosses, and lined with feathers and hair ; and 

 the eggs, six or eight in number, are white, speckled 

 with rust-colour at the larger end. The fom 

 not easily driven frflm her nest, but if an attempt be 

 made to sci/e her, bites with severity, at the same time 

 rnlHing her feathers, hissing and making the spitting 



of an irritated kitten. 



The notes of this species are few and little varied, 

 consisting chiefly of a weak chirp, and a louder harsh 

 chatter, its cry of alarm; in the spring it also utters a 

 soft ringing note, which may be considered its song, 

 and which is certainly not. unmusical. It is a bird of 

 very active and lively habits, for ever examining the 

 trees and bushes for insects, and in its search for them 

 const antly assuming tiie most grotesque and olien 

 beautiful attitudes. And it is remarkable for being 

 always about the first among small birds to spy out 



an enemy, a weasel or an owl, the latter of which it 

 most persevcringly and unremittingly persecutes when- 

 ever it ventures forth into daylight. 



BOA. A genus of ophidian reptiles which have 

 no poison fangs, or other venomous apparatus, but 

 which are nevertheless very powerful as crushing 

 serpents, as they can very rapidly, and by what seems 

 a sort of absolutely frensied motion, it is so rapid, 

 twist themselves round the bodies of tolerably !; 

 animals, and crush them to death. As is the < 

 with all serpents, they have no means of masticating 

 or dividing their prey in any way,. and as a compen- 

 sation, their gape is remarkably wide, and their throat 

 and gullet capable of much dilatation. 



The presence or absence of the moveable poison 

 fangs, which are not fixed in the maxillary bones, is 

 not in itself a sufficient criterion of a serpent being 

 poisonous or not poisonous ; for there are some which 

 have the fixed teeth perforated with tubes, and are 

 capable of inflicting venomed wounds by means of 

 these. See OPHIDIA. Some of those which have 

 been included in the genus boa have -this latter kind 

 of poisoning structure ; but these are very properly 

 separated from the true boas, which kill their prey 

 by muscular strength only ; and after this separation 

 has been made, the genus still contains a number of 

 species. 



These formidable reptiles are found only in the 

 warmer parts of the world, generally in those where 

 vegetation is rich, and many of them near the waters 

 rather than in the dry and open places. The Malay 

 peninsula, on the continent of Asia, the Oriental Isles, 

 and Brazil and Guiana in tropical America, are the 

 parts of the world where they are most abundant. 

 It thus seems as though the utmost energy of those 

 powers which produce natural action were required 

 for the development of these animals ; and there are 

 few that suffer a greater falling off' of their activity 

 when they are brought into cold latitudes. Those 

 which have been brought to Europe as curiosities 

 (for it can be only as curiosiiies that, they are brought, 

 as they are useful to man no where, neither are they 

 in any degree ornamented), have continued to show 

 their periodical voracity while on board ship in the 

 very warm seas; but after they come into the cold 

 latitudes they have to be kept warm by artificial 

 means, otherwise they show hardly any signs of life. 

 Those which have been brought to England and kept 

 alive have, besides their forms, shown hardly any 

 thing else than how tenacious of life these reptiles of 

 the warm climates are, and how long they can live 

 without food where there is not sufficient heat to call 

 their system into activity. 



Nothing shows more convincingly the dependence 

 of the different parts of the system of nature upon 

 each other, than those large and formidable reptiles 

 of the warm climates. Though they can wiiggle 

 along with considerable rapidity for short distances 

 on land, though most of them can swim, and though 

 they can make very violent momentary efforts in the 

 capture of their prey, yet they are incapable of much 

 change of place by locomotion; and it appears to 

 cost them no small effort before they can be roused 

 even to that activity which is necessary for taking 

 their food. Thus they must remain in their localities 

 and abide what comes ; and their powers of endurance 

 are well suited to this state of life. When they are 

 not excited, there appears to he little waste in their 

 "ystcm ; and their power of swallowing ; iiie.it 



