NATURAL HISTORY. 14.I 
bie bird, and will fetch frequently five or fix 
guineas. 
rhe GREAT TITMOUSE. 
rr-i 
i HIS bird, which is alfo called the ox- 
eye, is about fix inches in length, nine inches 
broad, and in weight half an ounce. The 
bill is black, ftraight.and about half an inch 
long ; the tongue is broad, ending in four 
filaments ; the head and throat are black, 
cheeks white, back, and coverts of the wings, 
green ; quill-feathers dufley, tipped with blue 
and white ; the IcfiTer coverts are blue, the 
greater ones tipped with white ; the tail, which 
is about two inches and a half in length, is 
black, edged with blue. 
Although tlicfc birds occafionally vifit our 
g.ardens, yet they chiefly inhabit the woods, 
where they build their ncfls in hollow trees, 
laying nine or ten eggs. Their food confifls, 
principally, of infetils, which they find in 
great numbers in the trees. Thus we per- 
ceive, that birds are formed, not only to de- 
light the car and plcafe the eye, but alfo to 
ferve us, by deftroying thole vermin, which 
do incredible mifehief to our rufiic pofTcfll- 
ons. As we can have no enjoyment, how- 
ever, without fome mixture of alloy, the tit- 
moufe frecpiently injures our fruit-gardens, by 
deftroying the tender buds. 
Like 
