THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



which it levers off with its bill, pulling up 

 moss from tree trunks or opening rolled 

 leaves in search. It will also eat seeds as 

 large as peas, and fruit, and has been known 

 to kill young or weakly birds and pick out 

 their brains. Dresser records an instance 

 of one killing a bat and eating its brains 

 only. 



In Confinement it is said to be lively 

 and interesting, but must not be kept with 

 other smaller birds on account of its carniv- 

 erous propensities. It may be fed upon 

 German paste, bread crumbs and seed. It 

 also evinces great delight in picking a bone, 

 with which it should occasionally be 

 supplied, and is very fond of hemp seed. 



Habitat. — This species is common in 

 England, Scotland and Ireland. More than 

 a pair are seldom found together. 



Abroad.— It is found throughout Europe, 

 also in Western and Northern Asia, and 

 several parts of Africa. 



Nest. — The nest, when any is construct- 

 ed, is placed in a hole in the bole of a tree, 

 which, if not large enough, the birds enlarge 

 for the purpose ; it is composed of moss and 

 feathers, with a little hair ; but sometimes 

 the eggs are laid upon the chips of wood 

 which fall to the bottom of the hole when 

 the bird is engaged in enlarging it. Other 

 convenient places having small openings are 

 sometimes made use of, such as wooden 

 pumps, inverted flower pots and such like 

 situations ; or at other times it is built in 

 an old nest of the crow or magpie. The 

 nest has also been found in a hole in 

 a bank, and Mr. Porritt obtained four 

 eggs which had been found by some 

 boys, in a nest built upon the ground in 

 Wicken Fen. These were for some time a 

 puzzle. He sent the boys back for the 

 nest, but unfortunately they could not find 

 it again, but there is little doubt that it 

 belonged to this species. A case is also 



reported (Science Gossip, March, 1879), of a 

 pair of Great Tits building and rearing 

 their young in a hole in the ground, 

 previously occupied by a colony of wasps. 



Eggs. — The number of eggs vary from 

 six to eleven in number. They are white 

 spotted with brick red, more especially at 

 the large end. The only eggs they resemble 

 are those of the nuthatch and swallow ; but 

 the former though very similar are generally 

 rather rounder, and in the latter the spots 

 are dark purple brown and finer. The 

 situation of the nest of the nuthatch also 

 serves to confuse it with the present species, 

 and collectors of eggs should carefully study 

 the birds as well as the eggs, and in cases 

 like this should make certain of the owners 

 of a nest before any of the eggs are taken. 

 Of course the eggs of some of the other tits 

 are similarly marked, but the size will at 

 once distinguish those of the present species. 



Varieties. — The eggs of this species only 

 vary in the number or extent of the red 

 spots. The only one approaching anything 

 like a variety was in the nest already 

 referred to, as having been taken on 

 Wicken Fen, and has been lent by Mr, 

 Porritt, for figuring (pi. li. fig. 2). White 

 eggs are occasionally obtained. 



51. BLUE TIT. 

 Parus cceruleus, Linn. 



C^RULEUS, blue. 



Size. — Length 4^ in. ; expanse yf in. 



Plumage. — Bin bluish black; eyes 

 brown. Top of head azure blue, surrounded 

 by a ring of white which runs just over the 

 eyes. A blue-black streak runs through the 

 eye to a patch behind the head, surrounding 

 a large white patch on each cheek and 

 meeting under the chin. Back greenish 

 grey; upper tail coverts freckled with 

 white ; tail light blue, the outer web white. 



