NOTES ON THE BREEDING OF THE GREAT TIT. 209 



On the seventeenth day the male bird was seen to be carrying 

 a grub which had not previously been observed. The camera- 

 shutter was released with a crash as he was about to enter the 

 box, and in his fright he dropped the caterpillar, which on 

 examination proved to be that of the Ermine Moth. Having 

 found they could take them with impunity, the Great Tits made 

 short work of these garden-pests, for, until the young left the 

 nest, the birds went backwards and forwards constantly between 

 the spindle-tree and the box. On counting they were often found 

 to be paying four visits in five minutes. Frequently the female 

 would arrive with food before the male bird had left the box, and 

 vice versa. 



An interesting difference in the behaviour of the sexes was 

 noted. The male bird invariably used the perch in front of the 

 box before entering. He would cling to it with his claws, while 

 he looked from side to aide. In this position he was easy to 

 photograph. The female never used the perch ; she would 

 alight on a branch in front of and a little above the box, and 

 would drop right in, merely touching the edge of the hole with 

 her feet as she entered. Several plates were exposed with the 

 same result, a view of her feet and tail being obtained each time. 

 Apparently it was not nervousness which accounted for this, as 

 the bough of the apple-tree she used to alight on was barely two 

 feet from the camera. 



The larvse of the following insects were taken as food : — Small 

 Ermine Moth (Yponomeuta padella), Winter Moth {Cheimatobia 

 brumata), Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata), Cabbage Moth 

 (Barathra brassica), Sawfly sp. (Nematus ribesii). There were 

 three nests of Humble Bees (Bombus sp ) close at hand, but the 

 Great Tits made no attempt to take the bees. There is no 

 doubt that the birds will take any small larvse as food, and the 

 species mentioned above happened to be the commonest avail- 

 able near the nest. 



The Great Tits undoubtedly do much more good than harm 

 in an orchard or garden ; the foregoing short list is composed 

 entirely of injurious insects, and the Small Ermine Moth in 

 particular is a most destructive species. It is rather curious to 

 note that no beetles or flies were taken, the explanation probably 

 being that more palatable food was plentiful. 



