86 
PICTURES OF BIRD FIFE. 
Titmouse,” he says, “ winters with us. They have what I call a kind of 
intermediate bill between the hard and the soft, between the Linnaean genera 
of Fringilla (finch) and Motacilla (wagtail). One species alone spends its 
whole time in the woods and fields, never retreating for succour in the severest 
seasons to houses and neighbourhoods, and that is the delicate Long-tailed Tit¬ 
mouse, which is almost as minute as the golden-crowned wren; but the Blue 
Titmouse or Nun, the Cole-mouse, the Great Black-headed Titmouse, and the Marsh 
Titmouse, all resort at times to buildings, and in hard weather particularly. The 
Great Titmouse, driven by stress of weather, much frequents houses, and in deep 
snows I have seen this bird, while it hung with its back downwards (to my no 
small delight and admiration), draw straws lengthwise from out the eaves of 
thatched houses, in order to pull out the flies that were concealed between them, 
and that in such numbers that they quite defaced the thatch and gave it a ragged 
appearance.” 
The largest of our British Tits is the Great Tit (Pants major), sometimes 
known as the Oxeye. It is about the size of a sparrow; the head, throat, and a 
line passing down the centre of its breast are black, its cheeks and a spot on the 
nape are white, while the rest of the plumage on the breast is yellow, and the 
back is olive-green or bluish. It is a bold and fearless bird, especially in defence 
of its nest, and when shut up with other small birds is said to be of cannibal 
habits, as it will break open their skulls with repeated blows of its powerful 
bill, and then feed on the contents. This shows how varied is its food. Insects, 
however, and seeds in autumn form its usual diet, and it is unwearied in its 
search for them. A walk through a fir plantation in winter or along a road 
bordered with larches will generally show the bird-lover a party of Great Tits, 
hanging in every attitude on the branches, and fluttering from one tree to another 
while searching every leaf or cranny in the bark likely to conceal insects. It is 
fond of enclosures and sheltered districts, and may be found in every county of 
Great Britain, but is somewhat local towards the north of Scotland. It is common 
throughout Ireland and almost every part of Europe, extending beyond the Arctic 
circle, and has been seen in Algeria and the Holy Land. The female is not so 
conspicuous in her colours as the male. The notes of the Great Tit are frequently 
harsh, though White says it possesses three joyous calls; these begin early in 
February. At the same time it begins to build its nest, which is constructed in 
the hole of a wall or tree, sometimes in more curious positions, and contains 
from six to nine eggs, pure white, tinged with red or yellow spots. Often seen 
