The Blue Titmouse. 



349 



attack tlie enemy, and sacrifice their lives to protect their 

 offspring. 



The parent birds are most assiduous in supplying the natural 

 cravings of their young ones, and may be seen carrying insects to 

 them, at surprisingly short intervals, when they are well advanced 

 towards maturity. The male bird generally roosts in close 

 proximity to the hen, and often in the nest beside her. 



Methods of Capture. — Blue Tits are easily caught. Place 

 a decoy bird in an ordinary wired cage, and proceed with it to 

 an orchard, large kitchen garden, or other place where they are 

 known to congregate. Put the cage on a sheltered walk or 

 beneath a tree, place a few kernels of nuts between the wires 

 (Spanish or beech nuts will do), and then erect a number 

 of limed twigs around the cage, in an oblique position. If 

 the decoy does not call freely, use a small whistle to attract 

 the attention of the birds. Tits are naturally inquisitive, and 

 appear anxious to find out the cause of any noise, or other 

 proceeding, which they do not clearly understand, and will soon 

 proceed to explore the neighbourhood whence the noise proceeds ; 

 so that, as soon as they espy the captive bird feasting on the 

 nuts, they will surround him, and endeavour to obtain a share. 

 These birds may also be taken in the Tit trap, and, in the 

 autumn, with horsehair nooses, baited with service or elder- 

 berries, and secured to trees or bushes in an orchard, garden, or 

 field which they are accustomed to frequent. 



Food and Treatment. — In a wild state. Blue Tits feed 

 largely, in the spring and summer months, on insects, and 

 their eggs and larvse ; in autumn and winter, they eat berries 

 and seeds. In confinement, they will thrive on mealworms, 

 egg and bread, and hemp seed, and also on the Compounds 

 recommended for soft-billed birds on pages 189, 190. 



Rearing the Young. — Take the young at the age of ten 

 or twelve days, and rear them on white bread sop, mixed with 

 ants' eggs ; or give them a piece of cooked lean meat, minced 

 fine, and mixed with breadcrumbs, grated, and moistened with 

 water. When they are able to feed themselves, give as a 

 change a few flies and small insects of any sort. When six 

 weeks old, they may feed the same as adult birds. 



Distinguishing Marks of Cock and Hen. — The hen birds 

 are smaller in size, and fainter in the various colours of their 

 plumage, than the cocks ; the markings on the head, also, are 



