106 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



hundreds of miles from land has been so often recorded 

 as to impress us with the idea that the bird is capable 

 of great efforts if only he chose to make them. 



The voice of the Great Tit is really pleasant to hear, 

 and is welcome as one of the earliest harbingers of 

 coming spring. It is generally heard very early in 

 January, and sometimes in the most severe weather. By 

 some the word "oxeye" has been supposed to represent 

 this familiar sound, and hence the name as applied to 

 the bird ; but to my mind it is much more akin to the 

 filing or sharpening of a saw. Mr. Witchell says that the 

 white patch on the side of its head, which is supposed 

 to resemble the white corner of a bull's eye, is the origin 

 of the name. This Tit has, however, a varied repertory, 

 so much so that I have often hoped that I was about to 

 discover some rare bird, when listening to him ; for, as 

 has been well remarked, the Tits seem " to possess the 

 faculty of compounding notes, which they repeat over 

 and over again, and then apparently forget." Whenever 

 I now hear a note that is strange to me, I put it down 

 to the credit of the Great Tit. The saw-song is perhaps 

 this bird's most conspicuous effort ; he has, however, 

 some sweet and taking notes, including a loud "tee, tee," 

 and "see, see, see, see," like the Blue Tit, whilst at times 

 a "pink" most suspiciously like the Chaffinch's may be 

 heard. The saw-song is audible at the distance of half 

 a mile. In Spain one of its notes gives it the title of 

 " Qui vive ?" 



