110 



ON THE HABITS OF THE OX-EYE- 



twenty-four hours, was violent, but of short (about eight hours) 

 continuance. In June last, a little without soundings, we had, for 

 two nights following, faint, inactive Aurorse ; the consequent gale 

 was not hard, but lasted nearly three days : the first day attended with 

 haze and small rain ; the second with haze only ; and the last day 

 clear. 



The benefit which this observation on the Aurora Borealis, when 

 further confirmed and known, may be of to seamen is obvious, in 

 navigating near coasts, which extend east and west, particularly in 

 the British Channel. They may, when warned by the Aurora Bore- 

 alis, get into port, and evade the impending storm 5 or, by stretching 

 over to the southward, facilitate their passage by that very storm, 

 which might have otherwise destroyed them ; for no winds are so 

 dangerous in the channel as southerly and south-west. In a worcl, 

 since I have made this observation I have got out of the channel, 

 when other men, as alert and in faster sailing ships, but unapprised 

 of this circumstance, have not only been driven back, but with 

 difficulty escaped shipwreck. Perhaps the observation, that south- 

 erly gales constantly succeed this phenomenon, may help to account 

 for the nature of the Aurora Borealis. 



Spithead, August 12. 



ON THE HABITS OF THE OX-EYE. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



My friend, Mr. Blyth, who is a keen observer of Nature, and who 

 is not, as is so very usual with naturalists, inclined to adopt all that is 

 met with in books, sent me in the same cage, a sky lark, a wood lark, 

 and a chaffinch, together with an ox-eye, (Parus major, Ray) which 

 had been confined about a week. In a note which accompanied the 

 birds, he says, " you need not be fearful of turning the ox-eye loose 

 into your aviary, notwithstanding the bad name which has been 

 given to the species. I have an ox-eye, which I last week turned 

 into a large cage containing six or seven small birds 5 he did not 

 shew the least symptoms of animosity, but, on the contrary, suffered 

 himself to be severely buffeted by that quarrelsome little bird, the 

 babillard, (Curruca garrula, Brisson), insomuch that I was at length 

 compelled to place the latter in another cage. The ox-eye continues 

 to live in terms of the greatest good fellowship with his companions, 



