. The British bird book . o .NE only has to look at this pretty littlecreature as it hunts for insects on the branchof a tree to understand how it got its title ; for, while it isdistinctly blue in colour, its movements are much moresuggestive of those of a mouse than a bird, and one is almostsurprised, sometimes, to see it fly away. It is even com-moner than the great tit, and will find its way even intogardens in the heart of a large town. When the mother bird is sitting it is very difficult to makeher leave her eggs, and she will peck fiercely at the fingers 105. of an intruder,uttering a l
. The British bird book . o .NE only has to look at this pretty littlecreature as it hunts for insects on the branchof a tree to understand how it got its title ; for, while it isdistinctly blue in colour, its movements are much moresuggestive of those of a mouse than a bird, and one is almostsurprised, sometimes, to see it fly away. It is even com-moner than the great tit, and will find its way even intogardens in the heart of a large town. When the mother bird is sitting it is very difficult to makeher leave her eggs, and she will peck fiercely at the fingers 105. of an intruder,uttering a loudsnake-like hiss, as she does the eggsare hatched, the little ones are fed with the utmostregularity, one of the parents visiting the nest aboutevery two minutes and a half, always with one grub orcaterpillar in its beak, and often with two or three. Andas this work begins before simrise, and continues withoutintermission till at least half an hour after sunset, it willbe seen that a pair of blue-tits, during the nesting season,must supply their family with at least fivehundred grubs a day. Multiply this total by thenumber of weeks which elapse before the little birdscan take care of themselves, and add the T^ insect victims which the parents themselves ;^ ^^
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1921
