SPECIES 1. P. ATRICAPILLUS. BLACK-CAPT TITMOUSE. [Plate VIII.-Fig. 4.] Parus atricapillus, LINN. Syst. 1, 341, 6.-GMEL. Syst. 1, 1008.— La Mesange a tete noire de Canada, BUFFON, v, 408.—Canada Titmouse, Arct. Zool. 11, No. 328.-LATH. Syn. iv, 542, 9.— PEALE'S Museum, No. 7580. THIS is one of our resident birds, active, noisy and restless, hardy beyond any of his size, braving the severest cold of our continent as far north as the country round Hudson's Bay, and always appearing most lively in the coldest weather. The males have a variety of very sprightly notes, which cannot indeed be called a song, but rather a lively, frequently repeated, and often varied twitter. They are most usually seen during the fall and winter, when they leave the depth of the woods, and approach nearer to the scenes of cultivation. At such seasons they abound among evergreens, feeding on the seeds of the pine tree; they are also fond of sun-flower seeds, and associate in parties of six, eight, or more, attended by the two species of Nuthatch. already described, the Crested Titmouse, Brown Creeper, and small Spotted Woodpecker; the whole forming a very nimble. and restless company, whose food, manners and dispositions. are pretty much alike. About the middle of April they begin to build, choosing the deserted hole of a squirrel or Woodpecker, and sometimes with incredible labour digging out one for themselves. The female lays six white eggs, marked with minute specks of red; the first brood appears about the beginning of June, and the second towards the end of July; the whole of -3 E VOL. II. -- the family continue to associate together during winter. They traverse the woods in regular progression from tree to tree, tumbling, chattering and hanging from the extremities of the branches, examining about the roots of the leaves, buds, and crevices of the bark for insects and their larvæ. They also frequently visit the orchards, particularly in fall, the sides of the barn and barn-yard in the same pursuit, trees in such situations being generally much infested with insects. We therefore with pleasure rank this little bird among the farmer's friends, and trust our rural citizens will always recognize him as such. This species has a very extensive range; it has been found on the western coast of America, as far north as lat. 62°; it is common at Hudson's bay, and most plentiful there during winter, as it then approaches the settlements in quest of food. Protected by a remarkably thick covering of long soft downy plumage, it braves the severest cold of those northern regions. The Black-capt Titmouse is five inches and a half in length, and six and a half in extent; throat and whole upper part of the head and ridge of the neck black; between these lines a triangular patch of white ending at the nostril; bill black and short, tongue truncate; rest of the upper parts lead coloured or cinereous, slightly tinged with brown, wings edged with white; breast, belly and vent yellowish white; legs light blue; eyes dark hazel. The male and female are nearly alike. The figure in the plate renders any further description unnecessary. The upper parts of the head of the young are for some time of a dirty brownish tinge; and in this state they agree so exactly with the Parus Hudsonicus,* described by Latham, as to afford good grounds for suspecting them to be the same. These birds sometimes fight violently with each other, and are known to attack young and sickly birds that are incapable of resistance, always directing their blows against the scull. Being in the woods one day, I followed a bird for some time, the singularity of whose notes surprised me. Having shot him from * Hudson Bay Titmouse, Synopsis, II, 557. off the top of a very tall tree, I found it to be the Black-headed Titmouse, with a long and deep indentation in the cranium, the scull having been evidently at some former time drove in, and fractured, but was now perfectly healed. Whether or not the change of voice could be owing to this circumstance I cannot pretend to decide. SPECIES 2. PARUS BICOLOR. CRESTED TITMOUSE. [Plate VIII.-Fig. 5.] Parus bicolor, LINN. Syst. 1, 544, 1.--La Mesange huppee de la Caroline, BUFF. v, 451.-Toupet Titmouse, Arct. Zool. 1, No. 324.-LATH. Syn. iv, 544, 11.—PEALE's Museum, No. 7564. THIS is another associate of the preceding species; but more noisy, more musical, and more suspicious, though rather less active. It is, nevertheless, a sprightly bird, possessing a remarkable variety in the tones of its voice, at one time not much louder than the squeaking of a mouse, and in a moment after whistling aloud, and clearly, as if calling a dog; and continuing this dog-call through the woods for half an hour at a time. Its high, pointed crest, or as Pennant calls it, toupet, gives it a smart and not inelegant appearance. Its food corresponds with that of the foregoing; it possesses considerable strength in the muscles of its neck, and is almost perpetually digging into acorns, nuts, crevices, and rotten parts of the bark, after the larvæ of insects. It is also a constant resident here. When shot at and wounded, it fights with great spirit. When confined to a cage it soon becomes familiar, and will subsist on hemp-seed, cherrystones, apple seeds, and hickory nuts, broken and thrown into it. However, if the cage be made of willows, and the bird not much hurt, he will soon make his way through them. The great concavity of the lower side of the wings and tail of this genus of birds, is a strong characteristic, and well suited to their short irregular flight. This species is also found over the whole United States; but is most numerous towards the north. It extends also to Hudson's bay; and, according to Latham, is found in Denmark, and in the southern parts of Greenland, where it is called Avingarsak. If so, it probably inhabits the continent of North America, from sea to sea. The Crested Titmouse is six inches long, and seven inches and a half in extent; the whole upper parts a dull cinereous, or lead colour, except the front, which is black, tinged with reddish; whole lower parts dirty white, except the sides under the wings, which are reddish orange; legs and feet light blue; bill black, short and pretty strong; wing feathers relieved with dusky on their inner vanes; eye dark hazel; lores white; the head elegantly ornamented with a high, pointed, almost upright crest; tail a little forked, considerably concave below, and of the same colour above as the back; tips of the wings dusky; tongue very short, truncate, and ending in three or four sharp points. The female cannot be distinguished from the male by her plumage, unless in its being something duller, for both are equally marked with reddish orange on the sides under the wings, which some foreigners have made the distinguishing mark of the male alone. The nest is built in a hollow tree, the cavity often dug by itself; the female begins to lay early in May; the eggs are usually six, pure white, with a few very small specks of red near the great end. The whole family, in the month of July, hunt together, the parents keeping up a continual chatter, as if haranguing and directing their inexperienced brood. |