
FOOD OF THE BLUE TIT. 
As many people hold the opinion that the Blue Tit (Parus c. 
obscurus) does serious injury to the fruit crop by the destruction 
of buds, the following observations in a fruit-producing 
district of Kent appear to be worth recording. At the 
beginning of December, 1916, I noticed a Blue Tit pecking at 
a fruit bud on a young Ecklenville seedling apple tree in my 
garden. It remained on the tree for more than half an hour, 
pecking at the bark in various places and pecking out numerous 
buds, after which it visited three other similar trees, but 
only stayed there for about ten minutes. After it had 
gone I inspected the first tree and found most of the fruit 
buds untouched, but some had the inside eaten out, which | 
were evidently diseased. One had the remains of a partly 
eaten maggot. During the next few weeks a Tit, probably 
the same bird, returned to the trees at intervals, but never 
remained for more than a few minutes. All the trees cropped 
well this year, and the first tree had fifty-two apples on it 
early in June: the others varied from twenty-eight apples 
upwards. The numbers and healthy condition of the fruit 
convinced me that only maggot-infested buds had been 
eaten. I may add that I have often noticed the Great Tit 
(Parus m. newtoni) pulling caterpillars of both species of 
Cabbage White off Brussels sprouts and eating them in 
quantities. FREDERICK D. WELCH. 
[The economic status of the Blue Tit cannot, of course, be ~ 
settled by any isolated observation on its habits, but must 
depend on the results of careful investigation on the lines 
followed by Messrs. Newstead, Collinge, Theobald and 
others. Most of the damage done by this species appears to 
take place in the autumn, pears being especially liable to its 
attacks, but Mr. Newstead mentions one case in which fruit 
buds were extensively taken, but no traces of insects could 
be discovered.—ED.] 
HOOPOE IN CO. DONEGAL. 
In September, 1917, a Hoopoe (Upupa e. epops) was shot 
by Mr. R. R. H. Nolen at Greencastle, Co. Donegal, close 
to the shore of Lough Foyle. Mr. R. J. Ussher (Birds of 
Ireland, p. 112) only mentions two previous occurrences 
in Donegal out of 117 recorded from Ireland up to 1900. 
The bird recorded proved to beafemale. W. H. Workman. 
