THE OX-EYE TIT. 429 



of its own, which it repeated incessantly, as it sported amongst 

 the boughs of an old ash ; then it seemed to forget this note, 

 and emitted another, which also was soon forgotten ; and again, 

 as if tired of its own compositions, it essayed those of its more 

 musical brethren. This Titmouse was a great nuisance to me 

 when I began to study ornithology, often leading me astray by 

 his silly productions, which I thought were the notes of some 

 bird new to me." 



I have remarked, in speaking of the affinities of the genus, 

 that the Tits are nearly allied to the Jays. This species, being 

 the largest, exhibits the relationship in a more remarkable de- 

 gree than the rest, not only in form, but also in manners. Thus, 

 it is in a manner omnivorous, for, not content with seeds, in- 

 sects, and larvae, it eats the flesh of birds or quadrupeds, and, 

 according to many respectable writers, sometimes attacks small 

 or young birds, and splits their skull with its bill. Seeds of 

 cereal plants and others, it husks by repeated strokes of the bill, 

 and therefore no more resembles the Deglubitores in this re- 

 spect, than it does in its organization. When wounded and 

 laid hold of, it bites most vigorously ; and should its nest be 

 attacked by other birds, it defends it with great energy. 



The nest is placed in the hole of a wall, or in a cavity formed 

 expressly in the wood of a decayed tree. Mr Selby states that 

 he has " seen it repeatedly engaged in this task, and admired 

 the rapidity with which the work advanced."" ISIontagu has 

 known it " deposit its eggs in the hole of a decayed tree upon 

 the rotten wood, without the least appearance of a nest ;" but, 

 usually, the nest is composed of moss, and lined with hair and 

 feathers. One in my possession, taken from the cavity of a 

 tree, is rather bulky, but loosely constructed ; its base and ex- 

 terior formed of moss and fragments of decayed leaves, the next 

 layer of fibres of inner bark, flaxen filaments, some worsted 

 threads, a quantity of ravelled cotton thread, and hair of vari- 

 ous kinds ; while the lining is of wool, horse hair, bristles, and 

 large feathers. The eggs are about six, of an elongated oval 

 form, nine twelfths of an inch long, seven twelfths broad, bluish- 

 white, marked with roundish and oblong pale red spots and dots. 

 As Montagu has remarked, they are " so exactly like those of 



