THE GREAT TITMOUSE 



At these seasons the Great Tit may be seen or heard in 

 gardens, in trees by the wayside, even in busy streets, 

 especially such as may be in the vicinity of the parks. 

 During the breeding season, however, the bird retires to 

 more suitable haunts, and also does not betray its where- 

 abouts to any great extent by its characteristic notes. 

 The habits of all the Tits are very similar ; the birds 

 spend most of their waking moments amongst the 

 branches in quest of food, restlessly hopping hither and 

 thither, placing themselves in every possible attitude, 

 some grotesque in the extreme, and from time to time 

 trooping off one after the other in dipping flight. Of all 

 the British species perhaps the Great Tit is the wariest, 

 and it confines itself more to the larger trees than its con- 

 geners. It lacks the audacity of its ally the Blue Tit, and 

 seldom or never evinces such trustfulness in man. Some- 

 times, however, it visits the ground to search for food, and 

 frequently clings to the bark, hammering with its stout 

 bill to get at some tempting morsel. Insects and larvae 

 and small seeds and fruits form the principal food of 

 this Titmouse, but exceptionally a small bird is killed 

 after the manner of the Shrike. The bird is not much of 

 a songster, but in early spring the males string a few 

 notes together into the semblance of a love-trill, and at this 

 season especially its shrill call of peek-ur, peek-ur, is very 

 characteristic. Besides these it often utters a musical si- 

 si-si or a spluttering and prolonged chur. The Great Tit 

 pairs for life, and preparations are made for its first brood 

 in April ; in June for a later one. It makes two distinct 

 types of nest, according to the situation in which each 

 is placed. One is globular, almost like that of the Wren, 

 and made in the old nest of a Crow or a Magpie, or amongst 

 the sticks of that of a Rook, even whilst it is occupied ; 

 the other is open and placed in a hole of a wall, a tree, a 

 pump, post, flower-pot, or even in the ground. The 

 materials are moss, dead leaves, dry grass, hair, wool, and 



105 



