THE TITMOUSE. 213 



few flies or other insects yet to be found, or to 

 gather the grain scattered among the refuse of the 

 farm-yard. 



The titmice are much to be admired for the 

 rich tints of tlieir plumage. The greater tit has 

 the most beautiful black feathers on the head and 

 throat, which are brilliantly radiated with blue ; 

 and the no less common Blue Tit* (Parus cwruleus) 

 has the crown of the head of the most vivid blue, 

 bounded on each side by a band of white. This 

 is the blue titmouse, and the Billy Biter of the 

 schoolboy, who, on his bird-nesting expeditions, 

 has perchance known what it was to be pecked at 

 and hissed at by this courageous little bird. But 

 the monotonous tones of the blue tit, heard often 

 as early as February, do not entitle it to a place 

 among our singing birds, nor will the rapidly 

 uttered notes of the Marsh Tit {Parus imlustris)^ 



* The Blue Tit ia four inches and a half in length. Crown of 

 the head light blue ; back and rvunp green ; wings and tail light 

 blue ; the greater wing-coverts and tertials tipped with white ; 

 face and sides of the neck white, divided by a stripe of rich deep 

 blue passing from the beak through each eye to the nape ; another 

 band of deep blue bounds the white below, coming round like a 

 collar to the throat, and thence extending upwards to the chin, 

 and downwards over the breast ; under parts pale yellow ] beak 

 and feet nearly black. 



