. British birds. Birds. OTES. FOOD OF THE BLUE TIT. As many people hold the opinion that the Blue Tit {Paras c. ohscurus) does serious injury to the fruit crop by the destruction of buds, the following observations in a fruit-producing district of Kent appear to be worth recording. At the beginning of December, 1916, I noticed a Blue Tit pecking at a fruit bud on a j^oung Ecklenville seedling apple tree in my garden. It remained on the tree for more than half an hour, pecking at the bark in various j)laces and pecking out numerous buds, after which it visited three other similar trees, but onl
. British birds. Birds. OTES. FOOD OF THE BLUE TIT. As many people hold the opinion that the Blue Tit {Paras c. ohscurus) does serious injury to the fruit crop by the destruction of buds, the following observations in a fruit-producing district of Kent appear to be worth recording. At the beginning of December, 1916, I noticed a Blue Tit pecking at a fruit bud on a j^oung Ecklenville seedling apple tree in my garden. It remained on the tree for more than half an hour, pecking at the bark in various j)laces and pecking out numerous buds, after which it visited three other similar trees, but only stayed there for about ten minu^tes. After it had gone I inspected the first tree and found most of the fruit buds untouched, but some had the inside eaten out, which were evidently diseased. One had the remains of a partly eaten maggot. During the next few weeks a Tit, probably the same bird, returned to the trees at intervals, but never remained for more than a few minutes. All the trees cropped well this year, and the first tree had fifty-two apples on it early in June : the others varied from twenty-eight apples upwards. The numbers and healthy condition of the fruit convinced me that only maggot-infested buds had been eaten. I may add that I have often noticed the Great Tit {Parus m. newtoni) pulling caterpillars of both species of Cabbage White off Brussels sprouts and eating them in quantities. Frederick D. Welch. [The economic status of the Blue Tit cannot, of course, be settled by any isolated observation on its habits, but must depend on the results of careful investigation on the lines followed by Messrs. Newstead, CoUinge, Theobald and others. Most of the damage done by this species appears to take place in the autumn, pears being especially liable to its attacks, but Mr. Newstead mentions one case in which fruit buds were extensively taken, but no traces of insects could be discovered.—Ed.] HOOPOE IN CO. DONEGAL. In September, 1917, a Hoopoe {Upiipa e. epops) w
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