THE BLUE TIT. 205 



striking against the panes of windows, I conclude, in jealous 

 defiance of their own reflections. The pair which built in a jar 

 at my window, after buffeting the unconscious glass for a long 

 time, seemed to gain no wisdom by experience, and, until the hen 

 began to sit, continued as busy at it as ever. The hen indeed 

 seemed chief performer." 



The blue titmouse is ready for a fight with more than its own 

 species. A gentleman of my acquaintance states of a pair, which 

 built for three years successively in a fruit tree close to the house 

 in which he lived, that when any persons went near the nest, the 

 bird flew to a neighbouring branch, and not only pecked boldly 

 at them, but would not permit them to drive it away. A pair of 

 these birds built inside a pump, which had not been used for 

 some time, at Abbeylands, near Belfast. The first indication of 

 the circumstance, unfortunately, was the nest and young being 

 ejected into the air, when the pump was again put in requisition. 

 Notwithstanding this misfortune they built again in the same place, 

 and as their so doing was in this instance known, the pump was 

 not used until the brood was safely reared. At a place not two 

 miles distant, the following circumstance, communicated by Mr. 

 Robert Patterson, occurred : — " Having gone one day to dine 

 with a friend living at Ringsend Point, he enquired, did I ever 

 know a bird's nest to be made, and the eggs laid within an hour ? 

 On my answering in the expected negative, he told me there was a 

 well from which water for the use of the family was drawn, and a 

 pump, which being what is called "down," was somewhat, 

 troublesome to work, but which yielded excellent water for drink- 

 ing. Going into his parlour on this day before dinner time, the 

 gentleman happened to taste some of the water which had been 

 placed on the side- board, and instantly accused the servant 

 of having drawn it from the well, and not from the pump. The 

 man denied the charge, alleging that it had been pumped up by 

 himself only half an hour before. He was desired to go and pump 

 some more, and his master went with him to see it done. 

 At the first stroke up came little particles of straw, and muddy 

 looking water, and next followed a bird's nest with three eggs ! 



