BLUE TIT. 59 
BLUE TIT. 
Parus cmHRuLEvs, Linn. 
PL. X., figs. 21-28. 
Geogr. distr.—Generally distributed in Europe; common through- 
out Great Britain, and resident 
Food.—Insects, berries, and fruits. 
Nest.—A thickly-compacted layer of moss, fine fibre, dead leaves, 
feathers, cobweb, and a few grasses, warmly lined with feathers. 
Position of nest.—In holes in walls, hollow trunks of small trees, 
door posts, lattice work of summer-houses, old pumps, on tops of walls 
under overhanging thatches and similar suitable situations; most 
commonly found in parks, gardens, orchards, and outhouses. 
Number of eggs.—8-10; usually 8. 
Time of nidification.—V-VI. 
The nest of this species is commonly regarded by rustics 
and young collectors as that of the Wren, chiefly from the 
similarity of the eggs in the two species and the small size 
of the birds; but, whilst the present species has almost to 
be lifted from its nest before it can be induced to leave it, 
and, after hatching its eggs, may be taken from it hissing 
with indignation at being disturbed, the least notice will 
frequently cause the Wren to desert its home altogether ; 
an instance may be cited in support of this statement :— 
On the 27th June, 1881, I found the nest of a Blue Tit ina 
hole left by the removal of a brick in the wall of an outhouse, 
which was daily visited by a gardener; the nest contained 
four eggs, one of which I removed daily, substituting a 
marble for the last egg; three or four days subsequently I 
visited the nest and found the Tit contentedly trying to 
hatch out the stone; I next removed the marble, and, later 
on, the nest; but, to my astonishment, the bird even then 
returned for a day or two to the vacant hole in the wall. 
So blind and unreasoning is the instinct of this bird, that, 
unless I had myself tested it, I should have thought .it 
incredible ; one may readily believe that the unsympathetic 
cat may become attached to a mere locality, but one looks 
for more sense in a bird. 
T have the eggs of this bird in the nest of the Sand 
Martin, of which it had taken possession; no additional 
lining is added. 
