54 BLUE TIT. 



forsaken nest of a Crow or Magpie is covered in and 

 lessened. It is an untidy piece of work made of moss 

 and lined with hair and feathers. Many curious sites 

 are recorded where this bird places its nest. It has 

 several times been found inside an unused, or even 

 a used, pump, making its entrance where the handle 

 works up and down. It has also been found in a hole 

 in the ground, in a flower-pot, and even in a cup- 

 board. 



The eggs,* from six to nine in number, are white, 

 spotted and speckled with pale red. It is absolutely im- 

 possible to distinguish them from those of the other 

 Tits, except by their size ; and even then small 

 varieties cannot be told from large varieties of the 

 others and those of the Creeper. Then the nest and 

 its site must be taken into consideration if the bird 

 cannot be seen. 



These birds can be caged, but will become very 

 quarrelsome if placed with other birds, sometimes 

 killing them, and, it is said, eating their brains. 



BLUE TIT. 



PARUS C^RULEUS. 

 Family PASSERID^;. Sub-family PARING. Genus PARUS. 



Blue Cap Tomtit Blue Bonnet Billy Biter Blue Mope- 

 Nun. 



The Blue Tit must be familiar to most of us. All 

 the year round he remains with us, and may be found 

 all over the British Isles, in most parts being very 



* The eggs of the Great Tit are very similar to the small 

 eggs of the Nuthatch, and cannot be distinguished with any 

 certainty unless the bird itself is seen. 



