288 



WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



HAZEL NUTS SPLIT BY GREAT TITS. 



the plumage at the back of the bird's head by 

 a gust of east wind. The last illustration of the 

 series tells its own story of confident enjoyment. 

 On boisterous wet days in March and the 

 commencement of April great tits come to my 

 garden regularly for food, but on fine days they 

 appear to occupy themselves in searching for and 

 splitting hazel-nuts in a neighbouring wood. The 

 latter part of this task is accomplished by holding 

 the nut down upon some branch with their 

 powerful feet, and raining a quick succession of 

 powerful blows along the line of least resistance, 

 which the birds are quick to discover is where 

 the forces of germination would rend asunder the 

 two halves of the shell in a few weeks. 



