446 THE OX-EYE. 



length, and eight inches in breadth and height ; the walls of 

 which may be formed either of boards painted green, or of 

 elder sticks, fastened to uprights at the four corners. In the 

 latter case only the floor and cover of the trap need be solid ; 

 and the corner should open and shut on hinges of packthread. 

 A small stick is vertically fixed in the middle of the floor ; 

 across the top of this lies another, to one end of which is 

 attached half a walnut, and to the other a piece of lard ; the 

 whole being surmounted by another vertical stick, which holds 

 the lid of the trap open at the height of three or four inches. 

 If the bird alights upon the cross stick, and begins to peck at 

 the bait, it brings down upon itself the cover of the trap, and 

 is caught. The trap may be placed in a tree, upon a layer of 

 oat straw, which serves to attract the birds even from a con- 

 siderable distance. Like all Tits, the Ox-eye may frequently 

 be caught in the water-trap, especially between 7 and 9 A.M., 

 and 4 and 5 P.M. In autumn it is often taken in nooses, 

 especially if baited with elder and service berries. These 

 nooses should, however, be made of horse-hair, as the bird, 

 when it feels itself caught, will bite through those of any 

 other material. 



Attractive Qualities. These birds are recommended to the 

 amateur not only by their beauty, activity and cheerful dis- 

 position, but also by their varied and exceedingly melodious 

 song, which consists of the frequent repetition of the syllables, 

 Si, tzi, da. Si, tzi, da. Stiti, Stiti, intermixed with 

 the double call, Fink, Jink. Tzitzeer. "We may conclude that, 

 the Ox-eye, if reared from the nest, would not be wanting in 

 docility, from the fact that even old ones evince a readiness to 

 adopt the songs, and especially the call notes, of other birds. 



They are also often taught to perform various tricks ; as, for 

 instance, to draw up their food and water by a chain ; to move 

 a cylinder, which appears to be worked by two miners ; or to 

 hop after a nut suspended by a thread. 



ADDITIONAL. The Great Titmouse, the Black-headed Tomtit, 

 the Blackcap, and the Ox-eye, are terms almost indiscriminately 

 applied to this bird, which, although by no means the largest of 

 the Parus, or Tit genus, is yet generally considered as the " chief 

 of its clan," as the Scottish naturalist has it. This well-known 

 species is very generally distributed throughout the wooded and 

 cultivated districts of England and Scotland -, it is somewhat 



