TITMICE. 
upon the transverse wood, or pecks at the nnt or the bacon, 
the roof falls, and the bird is canght. The cage is placed upon 
a tree with some thrashed oat-straw spread beneath it, to 
which the tits fly, and which they can observe from a distance.” 
When the tomtit is first canght, it should be plentifully 
supplied with crushed hemp-seed. Its general food should be 
insects and grubs of every description. In the autumn it will 
enjoy pnlpy berries of all sorts. They drink a great quantity of 
water, and care should be taken that they always have plenty 
both for drinking and bathing. 
The Ox-eye Tit. — With the exception of the bearded tit, 
the ox-eye is the largest of his tribe. He is not such a 
pretty fellow as his little brother Tom, nevertheless he is by no 
means unhandsome. His poll is glossy black, his cheeks are 
snowy white, his back dark green, and his breast of a rich 
greenish yellow ; the wings bright brown tipped with white, 
the tail dark brown and blue and white. The hen ox-eye may 
be known from her mate by being smaller, and altogether more 
dingy in appearance. 
The ox-eye tit is by no means particular as to where he 
builds his nest — in a bush, in a hole in a wall, in a tree stump, 
or in the summit of one that towers fifty feet above the earth. 
If it can find an old magpie’s nest, it will not take the trouble 
to build at all, but just pull it together a bit, line it with a few 
feathers and a little moss, and proceed to lay. The eggs laid 
are from eight to ten in number, cream coloured, and dotted 
and striped with purple. A nest of ox-eye tits may frequently 
be found literally filled with stout and apparently able-bodied 
birds, and this is accounted for by the fact that a young ox-eye 
cannot fly till it is nearly full grown. It must be terrible work 
for the old folks to be obliged to find food for so many big sons 
and daughters for so many weeks ! 
In its wild state the food of the ox-eye tit consists of insects, 
seeds, berries, caterpillars of all sorts and sizes, flies, bees, gnats, 
grasshoppers, &c. &c. It is even said that they will greedily 
devour carrion. In captivity they are very accommodating in 
their tastes. They will breakfast with you on roll and butter, 
and even assist you with your egg or rasher ; they will dine 
with you whatever your joint, or whether it be roast or boiled, 
fat or lean (they prefer the former) ; vegetables of all sorts and 
puddings they are very partial to. After dinner they will take 
a morsel of cheese with much relish, and if you are rich enough 
to indulge in dessert, a bit of fruit, a Barcelona, or a walnut 
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