90 WILD LIFE AT HOME. 



barn-door fovd, which had been killed and plucked 

 into it the previous winter. 



The majority of the members of the tit family 

 have a proneness to build in such odd situations 

 as letter-boxes, street-lamps, and disused old 

 pumps. We have met with several pairs of great 

 tits breeding in the last-named quarters, and it is 

 great fun to fix up the camera and endeavour to 

 photograph the busy creatures entering and leaving 

 a spout whilst tending their young. It is a good 

 plan to bar the hole up with something whilst they 

 are away, and snap off directly they return, for 

 they then remain still for an instant considering 

 the obstruction. The picture on page 88 was secured 

 in this way, but not until considerable patience 

 had been expended upon the subject. Finding it 

 impossible to photograph either of the parent birds 

 as they went in and out on account of their 

 uneasy habits and very rapid movements, we 

 thrust a large leaf up the spout of the old pump. 

 Instead of firing directly the astonished creature 

 stopped for a moment to examine the nature of 

 the barrier, my brother dallied in expectation of 

 a better chance. It never came. The practical 

 little bird placed the food she had brought on the 

 top of the spout, went inside, hauled the leaf out 

 and dropped it, seized the caterpillar she had 

 brought, and straightway went about her business. 

 The leaf was promptly replaced, and when the tit 

 returned a vigorous squeeze upon the air-bal] 



