264 



BLYTH ON BRITISH TITS. 



large Titmouse, and what the ' American' Crested Titmouse (P.bico- 

 lor), but a small Jay ?" The latter, however, seems to be pushing the 

 resemblance almost too far ; the different nidification of the two birds, 

 independent of size and habits, being quite sufficient to point out the 

 proper situation of each. 



The habit which the Tits have in common with the various Corvidce* 

 of always placing their foot upon their food, has also been instanced as 

 another point of resemblance between these two genera. A Tit, how- 

 ever, that wished to break a seed, would hold it firm between its two 

 feet, and hammer it with repeated and amazingly forcible strokes of its 

 bill j but if a jay wants to crack a nut, it usually fixes it fast in some 

 crevice, and breaks it while held firm in that situation. All the Cor- 

 viddB are remarkably fond of carrying away any small shining substance, 

 such as a trinket, a piece of metal, &c. This I have never observed in 

 the Tits, though I have several times thrown into their cage a small 

 clipping of tin, for the sake of observing whether they would take 

 notice of it. They have, however, one curious habit of the jays, that 

 has, I believe, never yet been noticed ; the instinct of concealing the 

 remainder of a meal to supply the wants of a future occasion. I have 

 frequently seen a Cole Tit, that I have long kept in confinement, hide 

 the remainder of an almond that he had been picking ; often in a corner 

 at the back of his cage, where, the drawer for sand not exactly fitting, 

 a crevice is formed very convenient for his purpose. It is amusing to 

 notice how he watches his opportunity when the other birds are not 

 looking, how stealthily he drops from his perch with a large almond in 

 his bill, and with what circumspection he lets it drop into his favourite 

 corner : and it was equally amusing to observe a Marsh Tit, late one of 

 his companions, who, without appearing to take the least notice of the 

 Cole Tit's proceedings, would often descend and make off with the prize 

 the moment the Cole Tit had left it. The Marsh Tit used generally 

 to deposit the remainder of the almond, or piece of suet that he had 

 been pecking, into the seed-glass attached to the cage, and not unfre- 

 quently would let it drop into the water. In this he was no doubt actuated 

 by the same motive of concealment as the Cole Tit, but he certainly 

 could not well have fixed upon a worse hiding-place than the latter, as 

 when once in the water he had no means whatever of getting it out again. 

 Sometimes the Cole Tit, after having been thus robbed once or twice of 

 his hoard, was under the necessity of finding a new place of conceal- 

 ment ; and I have seen the little fellow, when hungry, return to his 

 treasure, and draw it forth with much apparent satisfaction. 



I cannot say from actual observation, whether the Large and Blue 



