102 'NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



for succour in the severest seasons to houses and neigh* 

 bourhoods, and that is the delicate long-tailed titmouse, 

 which is almost as minute as the golden-crowned wren ; 

 but the blue titmouse or nun (Parus cceruleus), the cole- 

 mouse (Parus ater\ the great black-headed titmouse (Parus 

 fringillago), and the marsh titmouse (Parus palustris), 

 all resort at times to buildings, and in hard weather 

 particularly. The great titmouse, driven by stress of 

 weather, much frequents houses ; and, in deep snows, I 

 have seen this bird, while it hung with its back downwards 

 (to my no small delight and admiration), draw straws 

 lengthwise from out the eaves of thatched houses, in order 

 to pull out the flies that were concealed between them, and 

 that in such numbers that they quite defaced the thatch, 

 and gave it a ragged appearance. 



The blue titmouse, or nun, is a great frequenter of 

 houses, and a general devourer. Besides insects, it is very 

 fond of flesh, for it frequently picks bones on dunghills : it 

 is a vast admirer of suet, and haunts butchers' shops. 

 When a boy, I have known twenty in a morning caught 

 with snap mouse-traps, baited with tallow or suet. It will 

 also pick holes in apples left on the ground, and be well 

 entertained with the seeds on the head of a sunflower. 

 The blue, marsh, and great titmice will, in very severe 

 weather, carry away barley and oat-straws from the sides 

 of ricks. 



How the wheat-ear and whin-chat support themselves in 

 winter cannot be so easily ascertained, since they spend 

 their time on wild heaths and warrens ; the former especi- 

 ally, where there are stone quarries : most probably it is 

 that their maintenance arises from the aurelise of the 

 Lepidoptera ordo, which furnish them with a plentiful 

 table in the wilderness. 



