A catalogue of birds, observed in south-eastern Durham, and in north-western Cleveland : with an appendix, containing the classification and nomenclature of all the species included therein / by John Hogg.
- John Hogg
- Date:
- 1845
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A catalogue of birds, observed in south-eastern Durham, and in north-western Cleveland : with an appendix, containing the classification and nomenclature of all the species included therein / by John Hogg. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![many of the habits and manners of the titmice; they fly similarly, chirp, are very restless, hang to a branch with their backs downwards, &c. As birds doomed by Nature to inhabit a cold northern district in the European division of the world, they are remarkably impatient of cold. The Hon. Mr. Herbert confirms this my former remark, (see my Catalogue, 5, No. 30). “ In confinement,” says he, “the least frost is immediately fatal to them. In a wild state, they keep them- selves warm by constant active motion in’the day, and at night they secrete themselves in places, where the frost cannot reach them,—but 1 apprehend that numbers do perish in severe winters.” 1 have not yet discovered in this vicinity the Flame-coloured Gold- en Crest, Regidus ignicapillus of Jenyns. 46. Great Tit, Ox-eye, Parus major. 47. Blue Tit, Blue-cap, Parus C(Bruleus. A pert and bold little beauty. It is entertaining to watch the motions of this bird, and to witness the ease with which he hangs to the under side of a bough, back downwards. One of the most active and busy of the feathered tribe. Gardeners ignorantly persecute him for his supposed destruction to the flower-buds of fruit-trees : in this respect, however, he often does more good than actual harm, for his prey is insects, and not flowers. I have several times witnessed his use in destroying the American blight {Aphis lanigera), now so common on our best varieties of ap- ple-trees, which he devours with great delight. The Tomtit builds his nest in extraordinary places, quite regardless of danger; I well recollect to have found one within the wooden case of a pump, which the parent birds entered and came out of by the part left for the han- dle to work in. 48. Cole Tit, Parus ater. This species is included in Mr. Graves’s ‘ Catalogue of Cleveland Birds.’ Authors write the word “ cole,” but this appears to me to be a mistake for coal— the bird being so named from the quantity of black {ater) in its plumage, especially in that of the male. This I think is corroborated from BulTon’s having called it “ la petite charbonuiere,'’’— the little coal-wo7)ian. 49. Marsh Tit, Parus palustris. 50. Long-tailed Tit, Pants caiidatus. Dr. Leach separated this bird liom the Pari, and gave it the generic name of Mecistura, signifying, longest tail. The bill of this genus apjiears almost uselessly short — in fact, like a deformity. It is rather a scarce bird hereabouts. In its rapid flight it somewhat resembles an arrow. It ])ossesses great ])arcntal attachment, as the young, ten or twelve in number, keep with their ])arcnts, until the season of nidification returns. It utters a](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22350676_0016.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
