TITS, OR TITMICE. 19 



he says that "it is an engaging and amusing bird, always in motion, 

 bold, lively, never ceasing to hop and flutter;" of the Blue Tit that 

 "it is recommended by its beauty and lively disposition/' and that "it 

 soon becomes tame/' According to the same authority the "song of the 

 Marsh Tit, though weak, is agreeable;" he styles this a handsome 

 bird, which he has never been able to keep longer than two or three 

 years. 



It will be seen by the above that Bechstein only mentions four out 

 of the seven species which are here described; probably these were all 

 that were known to him as cage birds, and so came within the scope 

 of his subject. Other members of the group have, however, been kept 

 in confinement, and proved as interesting and agreeable as their 

 better-known relatives. 



In Bonn's edition of Bechstein, which has much additional matter 

 compiled by the author of the present work, is quoted an anecdote 

 from Knapp's "Journal of a Naturalist," which may be fitly introduced 

 here: "I was lately exceedingly pleased on witnessing the maternal 

 care and intelligence of this bird (the Blue Tit;) the poor thing had 

 its young ones in the hole of a wall, and the nest had been nearly 

 all drawn out of the crevice by the paw of a cat, and part of the 

 brood devoured. In revisiting its family the bird discovered a portion 

 of it remaining, though wrapped up and hidden in the tangled moss 

 and feathers of their bed, and it then drew the whole of the nest 

 into the place from whence it had been taken, unravelled and resettled 

 the remaining little ones, fed them with the usual attention, and 

 finally succeeded in rearing them. The parents of even this reduced 

 family laboured with great perseverance to supply their wants, bringing 

 them a grub, caterpillar, or other insect, at intervals of less than a 

 minute during the day." 



All the Tits, being chiefly insectivorous birds, should have a large 

 proportion of that kind of food, especially when first taken, to 

 reconcile them to confinement. Ants' eggs, meal-worms, small cater- 

 pillars, maggots, and anything of that kind that can be procured 

 should be given to them freely. All seeds, and especially those of 

 the sun-flower, they are fond of, oats and other grain, fir and pine 

 cones, nuts, with occasionally a little green food, and small shreds ol 

 meat when insects cannot be procured, is the best diet for them 

 They will generally eat the Universal Paste. A frequent change ot 

 food is good for them, and plenty of water to drink and bathe in. 

 Their principal diseases are gout, and decline, and giddiness; the two 

 former are said to arise from an immoderate use of the same kind 



