THE TOOTH-BILLED PEROHERS. 247 



singing; while the history of the bird is confined to dry receipts 

 for ^tting it to the cage. Its song, however, in captivity, is not 

 BO very alluring ; and the tyranny of taking it from those hedges 

 where only it is most pleasing, still more depreciates its imprisoned 

 efforts. 



The Redbreast, or Rohin Redbreast, as it is affectionately 

 termed, has, by its fearless conduct, earned itself golden opini )ns 

 from all kinds of men. Every nation seems to protect it. In the 

 winter, when the berries are gone, insects dead, aijd the worms 

 hidden under the hard frozen soil, then the Robin flies for refuge 

 to the habitations of man for shelter and food. It is very amusing 

 to see the half trusting, half fearful look with which it hops to 

 the window-sill for the first time. After a while, it becomes bold, 

 and taps at the window, if the expected crumbs are not thrown 

 out. Before very long, it ventures to enter the room, hops about 

 jn the table, and quite seems to consider as a right what was first 

 merely a favor. When once established, it is very jealous, and 

 will not suffer a friend to be partaker of the same comforts, but 

 attacks him with the greatest fury; so the unfortunate second 

 comer has to wait shivering outside the window, with his feathers 

 puffed up, and his little bright eye glancing from the depths of 

 the plumage. 



The nest of this bird is built in a crevise of an old ivied 

 wall, in a bank, sheltered by the roots of trees, or in a mass of 

 ivy clinging to an old tree. The eggs are five in number, of a pale 

 grey color, profusely marked with reddish spots. 



The GrREAT Titmouse is common in England, frequenting 

 gardens, orchards, copses, etc. During the spring it is very active 

 in the capture of insects, but in autumn and winter it is forced to 

 content itself with grains and seeds of various descriptions. Gil- 

 bert White, in his " Selborne," mentions that he has seen the 

 Great Tit " while it hung with its back downwards, to my no small 

 delight and admiration, draw straws lengthwise from the eaves of 

 thatched houses, in order to pull out the files that were concealed 

 among them, and that in such numbers that they quite defaced 

 the thatch, and gave it a ragged appearance." 



