66 
Wild Birds Useful and Injurious. 
tlieir share of this meal, and even the tiny golden-crested -wren 
occasionally puts in an appearance. When the suet is sus- 
pended in the manner indicated, other birds cannot conveniently 
get at it, for they are not active enough to cling to the swinging 
morsel, though I have seen a robin fly up and peck pieces of the 
suet out of the shell whilst hovering momentarily before it. 
Cocoanuts and bones are also accounted acceptable dainties by 
the tits. 
Though in winter the blue tit has sufficient enterprise to 
make use of animal food as just described, and will then 
even fly away with a few grains of maize thrown down for 
Fia. 4.— Blue Tit, Purus cocruleus. 
poultry, and though in the summer it will pick at apples, pears, 
and cherries, it supports itself throughout the year almost 
entirely on insects in their various stages. These it in- 
cessantly hunts for under the eaves of buildings, on palings, 
amongst the foliage of trees and in the crevices of their bark, 
and in any other place likely to harbour insect life, displaying 
extraordinary gymnastic powers during its search. Countless 
small beetles, flies, moths, and the eggs, grubs and chrysalids of 
insects of all sorts and descriptions are brought to light and 
devoured by the energetic and persevering tomtits. Some idea 
of the value of their services may be gained from the fact that 
amongst the injurious insects which form so large a proportion 
