THE BLUE TIT. ALSO CALLED TOMTIT 39 



to this the coup de grace. His skill and discrimination in pecking 

 holes in the sunniest side of ripe apples and pears are well known ; 

 but to this reward for his services in destroying caterpillars he is 

 justly entitled. 



The Great Tit builds its nest generally in the hole of a tree, 

 employing as materials moss and leaves, and, for the lining, hair 

 and feathers ; but as its habits lead it to our gardens, it comes 

 into close contact with human beings and becomes familiar with 

 them. Hence it occasionally builds its nest in quaint places, 

 which bear ever so distant a resemblance to its natural haunts. 

 An unused pump affords it an excellent harbour ; and the drawer 

 of an old table, left in an outhouse, has been found thus occupied. 



The notes of the Great Tit are various, but not musical. Its 

 spring song must be familiar to every one ; though not every one 

 who hears it knows who is the musician. It consists of but two 

 notes, repeated frequently, and sounding as if made by a bird 

 alternately drawing in and sending out its breath ; both together 

 give a fair imitation of the sharpening of a saw. Besides this, it 

 indulges in a variety of chirps, twitters, and cheeps, some angry, 

 some deprecatory, and some pert, which a practised ear only can 

 refer to their proper author. 



THE BLUE TIT, ALSO CALLED TOMTIT 



PAEUS CGERULEUS 



Crown of tne head blue, encircled with white ; cheeks white, bordered with 

 dark blue ; back olive-green ; wings and tail bluish ; greater coverts and 

 secondaries tipped with white ; breast and abdomen yellow, traversed 

 by a dark blue line. Length four inches and a half ; breadth seven 

 inches and a half. Eggs as in the preceding, but smaller. 



The Blue or Tom Tit so closely resembles the Great Tit in its 

 habits, that, with trifling exceptions, a description of one would 

 be equally applicable to the other. Though much smaller than his 

 relative, the Tom Tit is equally brave and pugnacious, and is even 

 more quarrelsome, for he will fight with birds of his own kind ; 

 and the Great Tit, if obliged to contest with him the possession of a 

 prize, retires from the field. His food, too, consists principally 

 of insects, but he is also very partial to meat. This taste leads 

 him much to the neighbourhood of houses and other places where 

 he can indulge his carnivorous propensities. A dog-kennel, with 

 its usual accompaniment of carrion, is a favourite resort, and there 

 are probably few butchers' shops in country villages which he does 

 not frequently visit. A bit of bacon suspended from the branch 

 of a tree is a great attraction. He evinces little fear of man, and 

 wUl hunt about the trees in our gardens without seeming to notice 

 the presence of a stranger. He frequently pays visits, too, to 



