April 14, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OE HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



285 



of the black on the head and throat, but has some fine azure 

 blue on the head, the general plumage being of a dingy blue 

 colour. 



Third, the Coletit. This bird is about the size of the pre- 

 ceding, but is not nearly so blue in plumage, being more of a 

 brownish-grey. The head is black. There is some white about 

 the cheeks, and a whitish mark divides the black at the back of 

 the head, and by which it may be readily distinguished from, 



Fourth, the Marsh Tit. This bird is intermediate in size between 

 the first and the others ; it is slighter made. The head is all 

 black, the general colour being brownish-grey, so !hat it bears 

 considerable resemblance to the Black Cap Warbler; and it is 

 not improbable that this likeness may have caused this bird to 

 be blamed for the other'3 fruit-eating. 



The fifth is the Long-tailed Titmouse, sometimes also called 

 Bottle Tit, on account of the form of the nest which it builds. 

 It is the smallest of our Tits, pied black and white, with a very 

 long tail in proportion to its size. They are very active little 

 birds, and usually live in small communities through the winter, 

 the few that survive pairing-off in spring. 



The two remaining species of Tits — namely, the Bearded Tit 

 and the Crested Tit — are very local birds, nor do I think they 

 are sufficiently common to require the gardener's notice ; and, 

 as I have not seen them alive, I can give no account of their 

 habits. 



Of the live species previously enumerated, their habits are so 

 much alike that one description will serve for all. 



I am well aware that with many fruit-growers and gardeners 

 there is a strong prejudice against the whole fraternity of Tits ; 

 and I must therefore be somewhat particular in describing their 

 habits. Let us suppose a pair to have eked out the scanty fare 

 of the cold winter months, when they had to subsist principally 

 on the insects which they could pick out from their retreats, 

 among the moss, in the cracks of the bark of trees, or in the 

 chinks and holes in walls and such-like places, by picking up a 

 few stray crumbs or bits of fat, overhauling the horse-droppings 

 on the road, or even by a sly visit to the butcher's premises, in 

 order to pick a little suet. Having thus escaped starvation the 

 pair betake themselves to an orchard, and»here they set diligently 

 to work to pick off the eggs of moths that have been laid in 

 j rings round the twigs, and which are ready to hatch as soon as the 

 leaves are forward enough to provide the young caterpillars with 

 subsistence. There is also a weevil that lays its eggs at the base 

 of the buds or among the scales, and the Tits are busily engaged 

 hunting the young larva as soon as it commences eating the 

 bud ; it is now that the ire of the gardener is first raised 

 against the industrious Tits for pecking the buds, though their 

 doing so is only to feed on the destroyers that have been overlooked 

 by man, but not lost sight of by the birds, and which if not 

 killed at this time would do irretrievable injury to that crop of 

 fruit, besides becoming the progenitors of devastating thousands 

 in years to come. 



The buds in spring being fairly opened, the yet tender green 

 leaves are preyed on by all those caterpillars hatched from the 

 eggs overlooked by the Tits, and these now form their chief 

 food ; of which also the Sparrow, Chaffinch, and several other 

 birds partake laigely, particularly during the time they are rear- 

 ing their young ones. As summer advances the old ones, fol- 

 lowed by their merry troop of young, fly from tree to tree 

 picking-out all they can find that have now spun their cocoons 

 or laid themselves up for the chrysalis state ; they search, too, 

 for those caterpillars that wind themselves up in the leaves, 

 small beetles, weevils, earwigs, and other insects, either in the 

 egg, grub, pupa, or perfect state. Whenever they can find them 

 they eat them up, and thus prevent their doing any further 

 injury, giving them no chance of bringing forth a numerous 

 progeny, which they assuredly would do if left unmolested. 

 There is scarcely a tree but has some insect that preys on its 

 leaves, fruit, or even the wood. Is it a weevil that deposits its 

 egg in the young nut while the shell is soft ? Tomtit is there to 

 pick out the egg, to catch the old insect, or, when the nut having 

 grown, the maggot grown too by feeding on the kernel, and 

 boring for himself a way out that he may transform in the 

 ground, Tomtit is there to look for him ; but, being in such 

 suspicious proximity, he is often accused of doing that which he 

 has tried his best to prevent. There are ether insects that 

 deposit their eggs in the young Plums, Pears, and .Apples. All 

 fruit-eaters must be well acquainted with the excavations and 

 borings of these depredators, and Master Thomas Tit is very 

 fond of their plump and well-fed carcases ; yet, when he attempts 



to enlarge the hole to fetch them out, and thus prevent their 

 ever being the parents of another generation, the hue-and-cry 

 is raised, "The Tomtit is pecking my best fruit!" It is a pity 

 he cannot change his name, for at present he has such a bad one 

 that few will believe any good of him, and all manner of damage 

 is laid to his charge, of which, as generally happens, if properly 

 looked into he would be found innocent. 



But time flies, and I am already taking too much space. As the 

 nights become chilly and insects are less plentiful, he will come 

 to the garden for Sunflower and Poppy seeds, and during the 

 cold of winter he will exhibit his predilection for insect food even 

 unden difficulties, by tapping at the entrance of the bee-hives and 

 picking up the bee that ventures to answer his summons. But 

 are the Tits all to be persecuted for doing this that may be easily 

 prevented ? A little piece of netting stretched in front of the 

 hives will keep him at a proper distance ; while gathering the 

 seed when lipe will prevent his appropriating them to his own 

 use. As to his bud-peeking and fruit-eating, it is far too insig- 

 nificant in comparison to the immense good this tribe of birds 

 do, could it be but viewed in its true light, and without prejudice ; 

 for, if these bud and fruit-destroying inseots were not killed by 

 the birds, how much fruit might we expect to ripen ? I fear the 

 quantity is now much less than it might be. — B. P. Bkeht. 



WHICH OWL DESTEOYS GAME? 



Yotjb correspondent's excellent remarks upon the various 

 insectivorous " Garden Helps " in laBt week's Journal, contain 

 opinions as to the propensities of the owl which I think will be 

 found to be erroneous. 



He considers that none of our owls are destroyers of game. 

 Now, I have heard of the debris of game of all kinds — hares, 

 partridges, &c, being found in immense quantities in the haunts 

 and nests of at least one of our owls. I am not naturalist 

 enough to remember which, but I think it is the brown owl. 



If you would insert this, no doubt it would meet the eye of 

 many a correspondent who is in a position to give some interest- 

 ing information on the subject. — W. H. Beadon. 



MEETING OF GEKMAN BEE-KEEPEKS AT 

 POTSDAM. 



(Continued from page 197.) 

 The next subject taken into consideration was : — 



III. Of what practical value is a drone-lreeding queen in 

 spring ? 



Herr Vogel, by whom this question was proposed, introduced 

 it by 6tating that a drone-breeding queen produced early in 

 spring drones to impregnate any young queens which may then 

 exist, keeps the bees at work, and when added to an artificial 

 Bwarm, the bees are satisfied, and may even be placed beside 

 normal stocks without returning to their old hive, and her 

 presence encourages them to defend themselves from robbers. 



Herr Weitzel on the other hand declared that such a queen 

 has for the rational bee-keeper no value whatever (cheers). 



Herr Hubler advised, amidst general cheering, that any one 

 who had a drone-breeding queen should take her between his 

 fingers and mercilessly crush her head. 



IV. Why are artificial smarms to he preferred to natural 

 sivarms, and how may the remaining royal cells he certainly and 

 safely used in the same apiary ? 



Pfarrer Dzierzon said, "This question presupposed that artificial 

 swarms are, without exception, to be preferred to natural awarms. 

 This, however, I should not assert. One may often do just as 

 well with natural swarms. Artificial increase by means of 

 driving is preferable when natural swarms do not issue in good 

 time, especially in countries with an early pasture, which, how- 

 ever, lasts but a little while; for natural swarms, perhaps, 

 might not issue till about the end of the honey-harvest, anTl 

 then both young and old must meet the winter destitute of 

 honey. Where, however, the bee-pasturage lasts as late as 

 September— where even swarms which issued in August may 

 still become good Btocks, and where also, as is generally the case 

 in such countries, the pasturage lasts a long time, sufficient 

 (perhaps more than one wishes) swarms issue naturally —there 

 would driving be superfluous, and no man of sense will en- 

 deavour to attain by artifice what nature gives voluntarily in. 

 sufficient quantity." 



