THE BLUE TIT. 
205 
striking against the panes of windows, I conclude, in jealous 
defiance of their own reflections. The pair which built in a jar 
at my window, after buffeting the unconscious glass for a long 
time, seemed to gain no wisdom by experience, and, until the hen 
began to sit, continued as busy at it as ever. The hen indeed 
seemed chief performer.” 
The blue titmouse is ready for a fight with more than its own 
species. A gentleman of my acquaintance states of a pair, which 
built for three years successively in a fruit tree close to the house 
in which he lived, that when any persons went near the nest, the 
bird flew to a neighbouring branch, and not only pecked boldly 
at them, but would not permit them to drive it away. A pair of 
these birds built inside a pump, which had not been used for 
some time, at Abbeylands, near Belfast. The first indication of 
the circumstance, unfortunately, was the nest and young being 
ejected into the air, when the pump was again put in requisition. 
Notwithstanding this misfortune they built again in the same place, 
and as their so doing was in this instance known, the pump was 
not used until the brood was safely reared. At a place not two 
miles distant, the following circumstance, communicated by Mr. 
Bobert Patterson, occurred : — “ Having gone one day to dine 
with a friend living at Bings end Point, he enquired, did I ever 
know a bird’s nest to be made, and the eggs laid within an hour ? 
On my answering in the expected negative, he told me there was a 
well from which water for the use of the family was drawn, and a 
pump, which being what is called “down,” was somewhat 
troublesome to work, but which yielded excellent water for drink- 
ing. Going into his parlour on this day before dinner time, the 
gentleman happened to taste some of the water which had been 
placed on the side- board, and instantly accused the servant 
of having drawn it from the well, and not from the pump. The 
man denied the charge, alleging that it had been pumped up by 
himself only half an hour before. He was desired to go and pump 
some more, and his master went with him to see it done. 
At the first stroke up came little particles of straw, and muddy 
looking water, and next followed a bird's nest with three eggs ! 
