182 NATURAL HISTORY 



frequents houses, and, in deep snows, I 

 have seen this bird, while it hung with its 

 back downwards (to my no small delight 

 and admiration), draw straws lengthwise 

 from out the eaves of thatched houses, in 

 order to pull out the flies that were con- 

 cealed between them, and that in such 

 numbers that they quite defaced the thatch, 

 and gave it a ragged appearance, . 



The blue titmouse, or nun, is a great fre- 

 quenter of houses, and a general devourer. 

 Besides insects, it is very fond of flesh; for 

 it frequently picks bones on dunghills : it 

 is a vast admirer of suet, and haunts but- 

 chers' shops. When a boy, I have known 

 twenty in a morning caught with snap 

 mouse-traps, baited with tallow or suet. 

 It will also pick holes in apples left on the 

 ground, and be well entertained with the 

 seeds on the head of a sun-flower. The 

 blue, marsh, and great titmice will, in very 

 severe weather, carry away barley and oat 

 straws from the sides of ricks. 



How the wheat-ear and whin-chat sup- 

 port themselves in Winter cannot be so 



