THE GREAT TITMOUSE. 133 



Mag, Huckmuck, Mum-Ruffin, &c. It builds a beautiful domed 

 nest, and lays a great many tiny eggs sixteen to seventeen. 

 It is a very restless, active bird; the brood keep together 

 for some time, and as they fly from bush to bush keep up 

 a continual twitter, a kind of plaintive but rather shrill 

 note. Its long tail at once distinguishes it from the other 

 Paridce. It is very prettily marked. Eyelids are bright 

 orange-red ; front and crown of the head dull white, 

 streaked with black ; upper part of back black ; lower 

 part a dull rose-red ; breast dull white, with some black 

 marks ; under-parts a beautiful roseate tint ; legs black ; 

 the middle feathers of the tail black ; outer white. Dresser 

 says that the Acredula caudata, for which it has been some- 

 times mistaken, is extremely rare in this country. 



THE GREAT TITMOUSE. 



The GREAT TITMOUSE (Parus major), also known as the 

 Ox-Eye, Saw-Sharper, &c., is rarely seen near the rivers 

 or in the open country ,^nhabiting 

 chiefly woods and gardens and shel- 

 tered enclosed districts. The bird 

 is common enough, is an early 

 breeder, and its peculiar, chirpy 

 notes are often heard early in Feb- 

 ruary. Seebohm says : "If you THE OX-EYE OR GREAT 



TITMOUSE. 



wander out in the fields and woods 



of a winter's morning, the sharp, unmistakable note of 

 the ' Ox-Eye ' will most probably be the first sign of bird- 

 life you notice." 



The great tit is very fond of fat, and can be often 

 tempted near the house by hanging out a bone or a piece 

 of suet or bacon. Others of the Paridce are equally as 

 fond of these morsels, and will also be tempted ; but the 

 great tit will lord it over all the other birds present, 

 except the robin, who fears nothing of his own size. 



