Chapter M: PYGOPODES. Feet palmate or lobate. Tibiæ feathered, often (6)

The Tufted Titmouse passes its nights and days, when the weather is inclement, in the hollows of decayed trees or the deserted holes of the woodpeckers. In such places it also builds its nests. It has been known to excavate a hole for itself even in hard sound wood. Its nest is simply a rude lining of the selected cavity, composed of various soft and warm materials. In this are deposited from six to eight eggs. But a single brood is raised in a season. The young birds, as soon as they are fledged, hunt in company with their parents, and remain associated with them until the following spring. The eggs of this bird have a length of .75 of an inch and a breadth of .56. They are of a rounded oval in shape, and are thickly sprinkled with fine rust-colored dots, intermingled with a few larger markings of lilac, on a white ground.

Lophophanes atricristatus, CASSIN.

BLACK-TUFTED TITMOUSE; TEXAS TITMOUSE.

_Parus atricristatus_, CASSIN, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phil. V, 1850, 103,
pl. ii (Texas). _Lophophanes atricristatus_, CASSIN, Ill. Birds
Texas, etc. I, 1853, 13, pl. iii.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 385;
Review, 78.—COOPER, Birds Cal. 1, 43.

SP. CHAR. Crest very long and pointed (1.25 inches). Above ash-colored. A broad band on the forehead dirty white, rest of head above, with crest, black, tinged with ash on the sides. Color of the back shading insensibly into the dull ashy-white of the under parts. Sides of body pale brownish-chestnut. Female with the crest duller black. Iris dark brown. Length, about 5.25 inches; wing, 3.00.

HAB. Valley of Rio Grande, south, into Mexico. San Antonio. Texas. Vera Cruz, SCLATER.

This species is not rare in Texas, where it has been noticed as far east as San Antonio.

HABITS. So far as known, the Black-crested Titmouse is restricted in its distribution to the valley of the Rio Grande, including portions of Mexico and Western Texas. It was first met with in the latter State by John W. Audubon, and described by Mr. Cassin in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy.

In its general appearance and in all its habits it is mentioned as having so close a resemblance to the common Tufted Titmouse as to be hardly distinguishable from that bird. Dr. Woodhouse met with this species near San Antonio, Texas, in March, 1851. While his party was encamped on the Rio Salado he observed these birds busily engaged in capturing insects among the trees on the banks of the stream. Like all the members of this family, it was incessantly in motion and very noisy. Later in the season, on the 8th of May, the same party, when encamped on the Quihi, again found this species very abundant among the oaks. The young males, then fully grown, closely resembled the adult females, both wanting the black crest that distinguishes the mature male. He afterward noticed this species occurring at intervals along his route as far as the head waters of the Rio San Francisco in New Mexico. He observed it almost exclusively among the trees that bordered streams of water. The females and the young males invariably had crests of the same cinereous color as their general plumage, but in the latter slightly tinged with brown. They occurred in small parties, were very lively and sociable in their habits, and in their general appearance and even in their notes so very closely resembled the Eastern species as, at a short distance, to be hardly distinguishable from it.

Dr. Heermann, in his report on the birds of Lieutenant Parke’s survey, mentions having first observed this species near Fort Clarke, in Texas, where it was very abundant. He describes it as sprightly and active in its movements, searching with great assiduity for insects in the crevices of the bark and among the branches of trees. While thus engaged it keeps up a chattering note, varied with an occasional low and plaintive whistle. Its habits appeared to him to resemble most those of the common _Parus atricapillus_. Dr. Heermann states that it builds its nest in the hollow of trees, and that it lays from twelve to sixteen eggs. He does not, however, say that he ever met with its eggs, nor does he give any description of them. The nest, he states, is composed of fine dry grasses, feathers, wool, mosses, etc.

General Couch’s description of this species and its habits is very similar. He observed it in the province of New Leon, in Mexico, where he found it very abundant along the San Juan into the Sierra Madre. He describes it as a very lively bird, with a very perfect whistle of a single note.

Mr. Henry A. Dresser sought very diligently for its nest and eggs near San Antonio and Houston, in Texas, where he found the bird very common, and where he was sure many pairs remained to breed, but its nest was very hard to find, and the birds very wary. He succeeded in finding one nest, in a hollow tree, near the head springs of the San Antonio River, but it contained young. The nest he does not describe, nor does he mention the number of young it contained.

Lophophanes inornatus, CASSIN.

GRAY-TUFTED TITMOUSE; CALIFORNIA TITMOUSE.

_Parus inornatus_, GAMBEL, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phil. Aug. 1845, 265 (Upper
California).—IB. J. A. N. Sc. new ser. I, 1847, 35, pl. vii.
_Lophophanes inornatus_, CASSIN, Ill. 1853, 19.—BAIRD, Birds N.
Am. 1858, 386; Review, 78.—SCLATER, Catal. 1861, 14, no.
88.—ELLIOT, Illust. I, pl. iii.—COOPER, Birds Cal. 1, 42.

SP. CHAR. Crest elongated. Color above olivaceous-ashy, beneath whitish. Sides of body and under tail-coverts very faintly tinged with brownish, scarcely appreciable. Sides of head scarcely different from the crown. Forehead obscurely whitish. Length, 5 inches; wing, 2.55.

HAB. Southern United States, from Rocky Mountains to Pacific; Western Nevada (RIDGWAY). W. Arizona (COUES).

The bill and feet of this species are lead-color. The third, fourth, and fifth quills are longest; the third and eighth about equal; the second is shorter than the shortest primaries. The lateral tail-feathers are a little shorter than the others.

A specimen from Fort Thorn has the crest longer than in other specimens before me, measuring 1.35 inches from base of bill to its tip. This may be a characteristic of the male, the sexes being otherwise alike.

HABITS. The Gray Titmouse belongs essentially to the Pacific coast, coming eastward only as far as the banks of the Rio Grande in Texas. It was first discovered and described by Dr. Gambel, in his Birds of California. It has since been met with not only throughout California, but also in all the southern portions of the Rocky Mountains, in New Mexico, and from Mimbres to the Rio Grande.

Dr. Woodhouse met with this species in the San Francisco Mountains, near the Little Colorado River, New Mexico. He found it very abundant, feeding among the tall pines in company with the _Sitta pygmæa_, _S. aculeata_, and _Parus montanus_.

Dr. Gambel first noticed this species near Monterey on the 20th of November. It was flitting actively about among the evergreen oaks of that vicinity in company with large flocks of several kindred species. They were all in restless activity, searching every branch for insects. As well as he could distinguish its notes among those of the busy throng in the midst of which he observed it, they appeared to resemble very closely those of the common _P. atricapillus_. Upon his following it up, it would utter a loud scolding outcry, erect its high and pointed crest, and appear as angry as possible at the intrusion. He found it very common, frequenting tall bushes in small flocks, searching branches of low trees, uttering weak and slender cries, resembling the syllables _tsēē dāy-dāy_.

Dr. Heermann found it one of the most common of the birds of California, where it is resident throughout the year. He describes their notes as possessing an almost endless variety, so much so that he was repeatedly prompted to follow it as a new species. He met with a nest of this bird in a deserted woodpecker’s hole, which contained young.

Dr. Cooper has met with this species in February near San Diego, but not on the Colorado. They seem to prefer the evergreen-oak groves toward the middle of the State, but are not found in the higher Sierra Nevada. They are residents throughout the year in the evergreen oaks near San Francisco. He adds that they are seen in small parties, scattered about the trees, and calling to each other with a variety of sweet and loud notes, some of which are said to equal those of our best singers. It also has certain powers of imitation like the Eastern crested species and the same cry of _pēto-pēto_.

It feeds on acorns as well as insects, and often goes to the ground in search of them. It cracks the acorns with its bill, and hammers at bark and decayed wood with the industry of a woodpecker.

Mr. Ridgway met with this species among the pines of the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, but nowhere in abundance. Among the cedars it was almost the only bird seen. He describes its manners as greatly resembling those of the other species. Its notes, though differing from those of the Eastern _L. bicolor_, being weaker and less distinct, retain its vehement and characteristic manner of utterance.

Lophophanes wollweberi, BONAP.

WOLLWEBER’S TITMOUSE; STRIPED-HEADED TITMOUSE.

_Lophophanes wollweberi_, BON. C. R. XXXI, Sept. 1850, 478.—
WESTERMANN, Bijdr. Dierkunde, III, 1851, 15, plate.—BAIRD, Birds
N. Am. 1858, 386, pl. liii, fig. 1; Review, 79.—SCLATER, P. Z. S.
1858, 299 (Oaxaca, high lands).—IB. Catal. 1861, 14, no.
89.—COOPER, Birds Cal. 1, 43. _Parus annexus_, CASSIN, Pr. A. N.
Sc. V, Oct. 1850, 103, pl. i. _Lophophanes galeatus_, CABANIS,
Mus. Hein. 1850, 1851, 90.

SP. CHAR. Central portion of crest ash, encircled by black, commencing as a frontal band, and passing over the eye. Chin, throat, and a line from behind the eye and curving round the auriculars to the throat (bordered behind by white), as also some occipital feathers, black. A white line from above the eye margining the crest, with the cheeks below the eye and under parts generally white. A black half-collar on the nape. Upper parts of body ashy. Length, about 4.50; wing, 2.50.

HAB. Southern Rocky Mountains of United States, and along table-lands through Mexico, to Oaxaca (high regions, SCLATER). Orizaba (Alpine regions, SUM.).

HABITS. Wollweber’s Titmouse, so far as its distribution is known, is a bird of Western Texas, the high table-lands of Mexico, and of the whole of New Mexico. It was described by Bonaparte and by Cassin nearly simultaneously, in 1850. It bears a very close resemblance to the _Lophophanes cristatus_ of Europe.

Although comparatively nothing is known in reference to the specific habits of this species, they may be very readily inferred from those of the other members of this genus, whose characteristics are all so well marked and so uniform. Dr. Kennerly is the only one of our naturalists who has mentioned meeting the species in its living form. In his Report upon the Birds of Lieutenant Whipple’s Survey he states that he found it in the thick bushes along the Pueblo Creek. Wherever noticed it was constantly in motion, hopping from twig to twig in search of its food. He also found it among the pines of the Aztec Mountains. No mention is made of its nest or eggs, and its nidification remains to be ascertained.

GENUS PARUS, LINNÆUS.

_Parus_, LINNÆUS, Syst. Nat. 1735. (Type, _P. major_.)

GEN. CHAR. Head not crested. Body and head full. Tail moderately long, and slightly rounded. Bill conical, not very stout; the upper and under outlines very gently and slightly convex. Tarsus but little longer than middle toe. Head and neck generally black or brown, with sides white. Nest in holes. Eggs white, sprinkled with red.

In the group, as defined above, are embraced several genera of modern systematists. The true black-capped American Titmice belong to the section _Pœcile_ of Kaup, and exhibit but three well-marked forms; one, _P. montanus_, with a white stripe over the eye; one, _atricapillus_, without it, with black head; and one, _hudsonicus_, also without it, and with brown head. The species may be arranged as follows:—

1. _Head and neck, above and beneath, black; their sides white._

A. A broad white stripe above the eye, meeting across forehead.

1. P. montanus. Edges of wing-coverts, secondaries, and tail
scarcely paler than general tint above. Beneath ashy-whitish,
medially. Wing, 2.85; tail, 2.50; bill (along culmen), .50;
tarsus, .69; middle toe, .43; wing-formula, 45, 36, 7, 2;
graduation of tail, .18. _Hab._ Mountain regions of Middle
and Western United States.

B. No white stripe above the eye.

_a._ Tail as long as, or longer than, wing. Conspicuous white
edgings to wing-coverts, secondaries, and tail-feathers.

2. P. atricapillus.

Dorsal region yellowish-cinereous, wings and tail purer ash;
sides light ochraceous. White edgings of tail-feathers _not_
margining their ends. Wing, 2.60; tail, 2.60; bill, .40;
tarsus, .62; middle toe, .36; wing-formula, 4, 5, 6, 3, 7, 8,
29; graduation of tail, .30. (12,851 ♂: Brooklyn, N. Y.)
_Hab._ Eastern Province of North America, north of about 39° …
var. _atricapillus_.

Dorsal region and sides with scarcely a perceptible yellowish
tinge; white edgings of tail-feathers passing around their
ends. Beneath whitish. Wing, 2.75; tail, 2.80; culmen, .35;
tarsus, .65; middle toe, .40; wing-formula, 5, 4 = 6, 3 = 7, 8,
2 = 9; graduation of tail, .50. (3704 ♂? Salt Lake City, Utah.)
_Hab._ Region of Missouri River and Rocky Mountains …
var. _septentrionalis_.

Colors as in _atricapillus_, but much darker. Beneath more
ochraceous. Wing, 2.40; tail, 2.50; culmen, .40; tarsus, .60;
middle toe, .40; wing-formula, 4th, 5th, and 6th equal, 3 = 7,
2 = 10; graduation of tail, .25. (6762 ♂? Fort Vancouver,
Washington Territory.) _Hab._ Pacific Province of North
America … var. _occidentalis_.

_b._ Tail shorter than wing; no conspicuous white edgings to
wings and tail.

3. P. meridionalis.[27] Beneath ashy (nearly dark as upper
surface), whitish medially. Wing, 2.60; tail, 2.20; culmen,
.40; tarsus, .63; middle toe, .40; wing-formula, 4, 5, 6,
3 = 7, 2 = 10; graduation of tail, .10. (10,203, Mexico.) _Hab._
Eastern Mexico.

4. P. carolinensis. Beneath pale soiled ochraceous-whitish,
scarcely lighter medially. Wing, 2.55; tail, 2.30; culmen,
.35; tarsus, .53; middle toe, .38; wing-formula, 5, 4, 6, 7,
3, 8, 2 = 9; graduation of tail, .10. (706 ♂, Washington, D.
C.) _Hab._ Eastern Province of United States, south of about
40°.

2. _Head and neck, above and beneath, brown, the throat darkest;
their sides white._

C. Back, scapulars, rump, and sides rusty-chestnut.

5. P. rufescens. Side of neck pure white. Wing, 2.35; tail,
2.00; tarsus, .61; middle toe, .40. Tail scarcely graduated.
_Hab._ Pacific coast of North America.

D. Back, etc., grayish or ochraceous brown.

6. P. hudsonicus. Side of neck grayish. Back, etc.,
smoky-gray. Sides dark rusty-brown. Wing, 2.45; tail, 2.45;
tarsus, .62; middle toe, .35; graduation of tail, .30.
(17,101, Halifax, N. S.) _Hab._ Arctic America; south to
northern boundary of the United States (except to westward).

7. P. sibiricus.[28] Side of neck white. Back, etc., rusty
ochraceous-gray. Sides rusty ochraceous. Wing, 2.70; tail,
2.80; tarsus, .66; middle toe, .36; graduation of tail, .30.
_Hab._ Europe.

Parus montanus, GAMBEL.

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE: WHITE-BROWED CHICKADEE.

_Parus montanus_, GAMBEL, Pr. A. N. S. Phila. April, 1843, 259;
Journ. A. N. Sc. 2d Series, I, 1847, 35, pl. viii, f.
1.—BAIRD, B. N. A. 1858, 394; Review Am. B. I, 1864,
82.—ELLIOT, Illust.—COOPER, Birds Cal. 1, 46.

SP. CHAR. Head and neck above, with under part of head and throat, glossy black; forehead, stripe above the eye and band below it, involving the auriculars, white. These stripes embracing between them a black band through the eye and confluent with the black of the head. Above ashy; beneath similar, but paler; the upper part of breast and middle line of belly white. Length about 5 inches; wing, 2.60; tail, 2.40.

HAB. Mountain region of Middle and Western United States.

[Line drawing: _Parus atricapillus._
12851]

HABITS. The Mountain Chickadee was first met with by Dr. Gambel in journeying westward from Santa Fé, in New Mexico, and from thence was found in all the ranges of the Rocky Mountains nearly to California. Its notes and habits are said to closely resemble those of the common Chickadee, but weaker and more varied. It keeps more in low bushes, where it moves from branch to branch with untiring activity, searching each minutely for small insects. It also frequently descends to the ground to pick up small seeds. While thus occupied it will occasionally stop, look round, and, uttering a slender _te-de-de_, and then its usual note, _to-de-de-dait_, will fly to another bush.

On the Rio Colorado they kept chiefly among the cotton-wood trees that grew along its banks, and its familiar notes were almost the only sounds heard. They were observed in large and busy flocks along the smaller streams in company with the Least Tit and the _Reguli_. Dr. Gambel did not find them, however, so abundant on the California sides of the ridge, where other species took their place.

Dr. Heermann found this Titmouse abundant among the mountains surrounding the Volcano in the southern mines, and subsequently met with them on the summit of the Tejon Pass. He thinks their notes and habits very similar to those of the _atricapillus_. Dr. Suckley obtained a single specimen at Fort Dalles, but regarded it as extremely rare in that locality. Dr. Woodhouse found it quite abundant in the San Francisco Mountains of New Mexico, where it was feeding among the tall pines in company with kindred species.

Mr. Ridgway found this species in great abundance among the pines on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as well as in all the extensive cedar-groves on the mountains to the eastward. Around Carson City this species was found throughout the winter. In its manners and notes, particularly the latter, it was hardly distinguishable from _P. carolinensis_. The notes are described as louder and more distinct, though their calls in spring are rather less clearly articulated.

Parus atricapillus, LINN.

EASTERN CHICKADEE; BLACK-CAPPED TITMOUSE.

_Parus atricapillus_, LINN. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 341 (based on _Parus
atricapillus canadensis_, BRISSON, III, 553, tab. xxix, fig.
1).—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 390; Review, 80.—SCLATER, Catal.
1861, 13, no. 80.—DALL & BANNISTER (Alaska).—SAMUELS, 182.
_Pœcile atricapilla_, BON. Consp. 1850, 230. _Parus palustris_,
NUTT. Man. I, 1832, 79.
Figured by AUDUBON, WILSON, etc.

SP. CHAR. Second quill as long as the secondaries. Tail very slightly rounded; lateral feathers about .10 shorter than middle. Back brownish-ashy. Top of head and throat black, sides of head between them white. Beneath whitish; brownish-white on the sides. Sides of outer tail-feathers, some of primaries, and secondaries conspicuously margined with white. Length, 5.00; wing, 2.50; tail, 2.50.

HAB. Eastern North America, north of 39th parallel.

In this species the first quill is spurious; the fourth quill is longest; the fifth and sixth successively a little shorter; the third is about equal to, or a little shorter than, the eighth; the second is a very little longer than the secondaries. The tail is a little rounded, the innermost feather longest, the rest successively a little shorter. The greatest difference in length of tail-feathers amounts to .30 of an inch.

1. Parus atricapillus, _Linn._ ♂ N. York, 12851.
2. “ _var._ septentrionalis, _Harris_. Mission Valley.
3. “ _var._ occidentalis, _Baird_. Washington Territory.
4. “ carolinensis, _Aud._ ♂ D. C., 706.
5. “ montanus, _Gambel_. Nevada, 53456.
6. “ rufescens, _Towns._ Pacific coast, 45946.
7. “ hudsonicus, _Forst._ N. Scotia.
8. Psaltriparus melanotis, _Bon._ Mexico.
9. “ minimus, _Towns._ Cal., 22417.
10. “ _var._ plumbeus, _Baird_. Arizona.
11. Auriparus flaviceps, _Sund._ 42210.]

The entire crown, from the bill to the upper part of the back, coming down on the sides to the lower level of the eye, is pure black, although the edge alone of the lower eyelid is of this color. A second black patch begins at the lower mandible and occupies the entire under surface of the head and throat, but not extending as far back within a quarter of an inch as that on the upper part of the neck. The space between these two patches, on the sides of the head and neck, is white, this color extending along the black of the back of the neck as far as its truncated extremity, but not bordering it behind. The middle of the breast and belly, as far as the vent, is dull white, that immediately behind the black of the throat a little clearer. The sides of the breast and body under the wings, with the under tail-coverts, are pale, dull brownish-white. The back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are of a dirty bluish-ash, washed with yellowish-brown, especially on the rump. The wings are brown; the outer edges of the third to the seventh primaries narrowly edged with whitish; the innermost secondaries more broadly and conspicuously edged with the same; larger coverts edged with dirty whitish. Outer webs of tail-feathers edged with white, purest and occupying half the web in the external one, narrowing and less clear to the central feathers, the basal portions, especially, assuming more the color of the back.

HABITS. The common Chickadee or Black-capped Titmouse is so well known throughout the greater portion of the United States as to be generally accepted, by common consent, as the typical representative of its numerous family. Until recently it has been supposed to be universally distributed over the continent, and while this is now questioned, it is not quite clear where its limits occur. In Eastern Maine the _Parus hudsonicus_ and this species meet. In the District of Columbia it crosses the northern limits of _P. carolinensis_, and in the northern Mississippi Valley it mingles with the var. _septentrionalis_. It remains to be ascertained how far the species exceeds these bounds.

A few individuals of this species were observed by Mr. Dall, December 12, at Nulato, where, however, it was not common. They were also obtained by Bischoff at Sitka and Kodiak.

As in very many essential respects the whole family of _Paridæ_ are alike in their characteristics of habits, their manner of collecting food, their restless, uneasy movements, the similarity of their cries, their residence in hollow trees or branches, and their nesting in similar places, with the exception only of a few species that construct their own pouch-like nests, we have taken the best known as the common point of comparison. Except in the variations in plumage, the points of difference are never great or very noticeable.

In New England the Black-Cap is one of our most common and familiar birds. In the vicinity of Calais, Mr. Boardman speaks of it as resident and abundant. The writer did not meet with it in Nova Scotia, nor even in the islands of the Bay of Fundy, where the _hudsonicus_ is a common bird.

It is a resident species, nesting early in May, and having full-fledged nestlings early in June. While it seems to prefer the edges of woods as best affording the means of food and shelter, it by no means confines itself to these localities, not only appearing familiarly around the dwellings in the winter season, but also occasionally breeding in open and exposed places. A hollow post of a fence in the midst of open cultivated fields, a decayed stump near the side of a public highway, a hollow log in a frequented farmyard, and even the side of an inhabited dwelling, are localities these birds have been known to select in which to rear their young. In the winter they not unfrequently extend their visits, in search of food, into the very heart of large and crowded cities, where they seem as much at home and as free from alarm as in the seclusion of the forest, searching every crack where insect larvæ or eggs can be hid. On one occasion a pair had built its nest over a covered well which connects with the dwelling by a side door, through which water was drawn at all hours of the day by means of buckets and a rope, the wheel for which was in close proximity to their nest. They manifested, however, no uneasiness, and even after the young were ready to fly, the whole family would return to the place for shelter at night and during inclement weather.

Their courage and devotion to their young is a remarkable trait with the whole race, and with none more than with the present species. On one occasion a Black-Cap was seen to fly into a rotten stump near the roadside in Brookline. The stump was so much decayed that its top was readily broken off and the nest exposed. The mother refused to leave until forcibly taken off by the hand, and twice returned to the nest when thus removed, and it was only by holding her in the hand that an opportunity was given to ascertain there were seven young birds in her nest. She made no complaints, uttered no outcries, but resolutely and devotedly thrust herself between her nestlings and the seeming danger. When released she immediately flew back to them, covered them under her sheltering wings, and looked up in the face of her tormentors with a quiet and resolute courage that could not be surpassed.

The nest of the Chickadee is usually a warm and soft felted mass of the hair and fur of the smaller quadrupeds, downy feathers, fine dry grasses and mosses, lining the cavity in which it is placed and contracting it into a deep and purse-like opening if the cavity be larger than is necessary. Usually the site selected is already in existence, and only enlarged or altered to suit the wishes of the pair. But not unfrequently, at some pains, they will excavate an opening for themselves, not only in decaying wood, but even into limbs or trunks that are entirely sound.

These birds in winter collect around the camps of the log-cutters, become very tame, and seek on all occasions to share with their occupants their food, often soliciting their portion with plaintive tones. Though nearly omnivorous in the matter of food, they prefer insects to everything else, and the amount of good conferred by them on the farmers and the owners of woodlands in the destruction of insects in all their forms—egg, caterpillar, larva, or imago—must be very great. No chrysalis is too large to resist their penetrating bill, and no eggs so well hidden that they cannot find them out. I have known one to attack and fly off with the chrysalis of a “Woolly-bear” or salt-marsh caterpillar (_Leucarctia acræa_). When thus foraging for their food they seem totally unconscious of the near presence of man, and unmindful of what is passing around them, so intent are they upon the object of their pursuit.

The notes of the Chickadee exhibit a great variety of sounds and combinations. As they roam through the country in small flocks in quest of food, their refrain is a continued and lively succession of varying notes sounding like a quaint chant. When annoyed by any intrusion, their cry is louder and harsher. They are rarely thus disturbed by the presence of man, and even when their nest is approached by him they present only a passive and silent resistance. Not so when a cat or a squirrel is observed in unwelcome vicinity. These are pursued with great and noisy pertinacity and hoarse cries of _dāy, dāy, dāy_, in which they are often joined by others of the same species.

So far as we have observed them, they are apparently affectionate, gentle, and loving to each other. We utterly discredit the accusation that they will treacherously beat out the brains of feeble birds of their own race. It is unsupported by testimony, and in the instance cited by Wilson he gives no evidence that this injury may not have been done by some other species, and not by one of its own kindred.

Their nest is usually near the ground, and the number of eggs rarely if ever exceeds eight. They are said to have two broods in the season, but this statement seems to be contradicted by their continued presence after June in small flocks, evidently the parents and their first and only brood, who apparently remain together nine or ten months.

The eggs of this species vary somewhat in regard to the distribution and number of the reddish-brown markings with which their white ground is more or less sprinkled. In some they are chiefly gathered in a ring about the larger end; in others they are distributed over the entire egg. Their eggs are smaller and a little less spherical in shape than those of the _septentrionalis_, averaging .58 by .47 of an inch.

Parus atricapillus, var. septentrionalis, HARRIS.

LONG-TAILED CHICKADEE.

_Parus septentrionalis_, HARRIS, Pr. A. N. Sc. II, 1845, 300.—CASSIN,
Illust. I, 1853, 17, 80, pl. xiv.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 389;
Review, 79.—SCLATER, Catal. 1861, 14, no. 82. _Parus
septentrionalis_, var. _albescens_, BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858,
xxxvii. _? Parus atricapillus_, PR. MAX. Cab. Jour. VI, 1858, 119.

SP. CHAR. Length about 5.50 inches; wing, 2.70; tail about 3 inches. Head above and below black, separated by white on the sides of the head; back brownish-ash. Beneath white, tinged with pale brownish-white on the sides. Outer tail-feathers, primaries, and secondaries broadly edged with white, involving nearly the whole outer web of outer tail-feather. Tail much graduated; the outer feather about .50 of an inch shorter than the middle. Second quill about as long as the secondaries.

HAB. Region of Missouri River to Rocky Mountains.

This race is very similar to the _P. atricapillus_, but differs from it somewhat as _atricapillus_ does from _carolinensis_. Its size is much greater; the tail proportionally longer, and much more graduated; the white of wing and tail purer and more extended. The bill appears to be stouter and more conical. The back has, perhaps, a little more yellowish. The spurious or first primary is larger.

It will be a difficult matter to retain this as a species distinct from _atricapillus_, in view of the insensible gradation from one form to the other; and it may be looked upon, with scarcely a doubt, as simply a long-tailed Western variety of the common species. _P. occidentalis_, and, probably, even _P. carolinensis_, may even fall under the same category, their peculiarities of color and size being precisely such as would _a priori_ be expected from their geographical distribution.

HABITS. The Long-tailed Titmouse appears to have an extended distribution between the Mississippi Valley and the Rocky Mountains, from Texas into the British Possessions, specimens having been received from Fort Simpson and Lake Winnipeg. Among the notes of the late Robert Kennicott is one dated Lake Winnipeg, June 6, mentioning the dissection of a female of this species found to contain a full-sized egg. A memorandum made by Mr. Ross, dated at Fort William, May 15, speaks of this bird as abundant at Fort Simpson, from August until November, the last having been seen November 10. One was shot, June 2, on Winnipeg River, “a female, who was about to lay her egg.”

In regard to its distinct individual history but little is as yet known. It was discovered and first described by the late Edward Harris, of New Jersey, who accompanied Mr. Audubon in his expedition to the upper branches of the Missouri River, and who obtained this bird on the Yellowstone, about thirty miles above its junction with the Missouri, on the 26th of July. He describes its notes as similar to those of the common _atricapillus_, but less harsh and querulous, and more liquid in their utterance. Subsequently specimens were obtained by Mr. Kern, artist to the exploring expedition under Fremont in 1846.

It is the largest species of this genus in America. In its breeding-habits it is not different from the Eastern representatives. Mr. B. F. Goss found this species breeding abundantly at Neosho Falls, in Kansas. They nest in decayed stumps, hollow trees, branches, logs, etc., after the manner of the _atricapillus_. The excavation is usually ten or twelve inches, and even more, in depth. The nest is warmly made of a loose soft felt composed of the fur and fine hair of small quadrupeds, feathers, and the finer mosses.

The eggs, usually five, occasionally eight, in number, are of a rounded oval shape, measuring .60 by .50 of an inch. They have a pure dull-white ground, and the entire egg is very uniformly and pretty thickly covered with fine markings and small blotches of red and reddish-brown intermingled with a few dots of purplish.

Parus atricapillus, var. occidentalis, BAIRD.

WESTERN CHICKADEE.

_Parus occidentalis_, BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 391 (W. Territory);
Review, 81.—SCLATER, Catal. 1861, 14, no. 82.—ELLIOT, Illust. 1,
pl. viii.—COOPER, Birds Cal. 1, 45.

SP. CHAR. Tarsi lengthened. Tail graduated; outer feather about .25 of an inch shorter than the middle. Above dark brownish-ash; head and neck above and below black, separated on the sides by white; beneath light, dirty, rusty yellowish-brown, scarcely whiter along the middle of body. Tail and wings not quite so much edged with whitish as in _P. atricapillus_. Length about 4.75; wing, 2.40; tail, 2.40.

HAB. Northwest coast region of the United States.

This race is of the same size as _P. atricapillus_, and resembles it in its markings; the ashy of the back is, however, washed with a darker shade of yellowish-brown. The brown of the under parts is so much darker as to cause the predominant color there to be a pale yellowish-brown, instead of brownish-white. The fourth quill is longest; the fifth and sixth a little shorter than the third; the second is about as long as the secondaries. The tail is rounded, rather more so than in most _atricapillus_, the difference in the lengths of the feathers amounting to about .25 of an inch. The amount of light margining to the quills and tail-feathers is much as in _atricapillus_, but rather less, perhaps, on the tail.

This seems to be the Pacific coast representative of the _P. atricapillus_, as _septentrionalis_ belongs to the middle region, corresponding in its differences with other Western representatives of Eastern species.

HABITS. Dr. Cooper, in his Birds of Washington Territory, says of this variety: “The common Black-capped Chickadee, so abundant in the Eastern States, is, in Washington Territory, represented by the Western Titmouse, frequenting the low thickets and trees, where it is always busily employed seeking food.” He observed its nest near Puget Sound, burrowed in soft rotten wood. Dr. Suckley found it quite abundant in the valley of the Willamette, and also at Fort Vancouver during winter. In habits it closely resembles the Black-Cap of the Eastern States.

It is chiefly found in Oregon and Washington Territory, visiting the northern part of California in winter, when it is also abundant near the Columbia River. At this season it is generally found among the deciduous trees along streams and oak groves, seeking its food among the branches. It feeds on seeds and insects, and is very fond of fresh meat, fat, and crumbs of bread. They migrate but little, remaining at the Columbia River even when the ground is covered with snow. The eggs are as yet unknown, but without doubt they closely resemble those of the Eastern species.

Parus carolinensis, AUDUBON.

SOUTHERN CHICKADEE.

_Parus carolinensis_, AUD. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 474, pl. clx.—IB.
Birds Am. II, 1841, 152, pl. cxxvii.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858,
392; Review, 81.—SCLATER, Catal. 1861, 13, no. 81. _Pœcile
carolinensis_, BON. Consp. 1850, 230.

SP. CHAR. Second quill appreciably longer than secondaries. Tail very little rounded. Length about 4.50 inches; wing less than 2.50; tail, 2.40. Back brownish-ash. Head above, and throat, black, separated on sides of head by white. Beneath white; brownish-white on sides. Outer tail-feathers, primaries, and secondaries, not edged with white.

HAB. South Atlantic and gulf region of United States, north to Washington, D. C., Texas and the Mississippi Valley; north to Central Illinois; the only species in the southern portion of the latter State.

This species is, in general, rather smaller than _P. atricapillus_, although the tail and wing appear to be of much the same size. The body and feet are, however, smaller, and the extent of wing is three quarters of an inch less. The bill is apparently shorter and stouter.

The primaries are proportionally and absolutely considerably longer than the secondaries in the present species, the difference being .55 of an inch, instead of .45. The tail is rather more rounded, the feathers narrower.

The tail is considerably shorter than the wing, instead of longer; the black of the throat extends much farther back, is more dense and more sharply defined behind, than in _atricapillus_. Taking into view these differences, and others of color, we feel justified in retaining this as a species distinct from _atricapillus_, and, in fact, having _meridionalis_ as its nearest relative (see Synoptical Table). Both this species and _atricapillus_ are found together in the Middle States, each preserving its characteristics.

HABITS. South of the once famous line of Mason and Dixon this smaller counterpart of the Chickadee seems to entirely replace it, although in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and occasionally even as far to the north as New York City, the two occur together. Its range is presumed to be all the States south of the Potomac and the Ohio, as far to the west as the Rio Grande. It was probably this species, and not the _atricapillus_, which was met with by Dr. Woodhouse in the Indian Territory. Without much doubt it breeds in all the States south of Pennsylvania.

In Southern Illinois, as far north in the Wabash Valley as the mouth of White River, this is the only species, unless the _P. atricapillus_ occasionally occurs in winter. Specimens from this region are undistinguishable from those taken in Georgia and the extreme Southern States, and do not present the peculiar features of _P. atricapillus_. It is a very abundant species, and resident, being in winter one of the most common, as well as one of the most familiar birds, inhabiting _all_ localities, giving preference neither to swampy woods nor to door-yards, for it is as often seen in one place as another. It is never gregarious, though many may often be seen or heard at the same moment. It begins incubation early in April, generally selecting the wild plum and red-bud trees in the woods. This species very often constructs its own nesting-places, and the soft wood of these trees is very easily excavated. The excavation is generally made in a horizontal dead limb, with the opening on the under side; this is neat and regular, and as elaborate as those of any of the woodpeckers. Sometimes, however, a natural cavity is selected, frequently in a prostrate stump or “snag.” The nest is almost always a very elaborate structure, being a strong compact cup or bed of “felt,” whose main material is rabbit-fur and cow-hair.

In its habits it seems to resemble more closely the _P. palustris_ of Europe than the _atricapillus_, being generally found only in the immediate vicinity of ponds and deep, marshy, moist woods. It is also rarely found other than singly or in pairs, the parent birds, unlike most of this family, separating from their young soon after the latter are able to provide for themselves. It rarely or never moves in flocks.

Their notes are said to be less sonorous and less frequent than those of our Black-capped Titmouse. In the winter a portion retire from the coast in South Carolina into the interior of the State and into Florida, where Mr. Audubon found them, in the winter of 1831 and 1832, much more abundant than he had ever seen them elsewhere. He found them breeding as early as February, occasionally in the nests deserted by the Brown-headed Nuthatch. A nest obtained by Dr. Bachman from a hollow stump, about four feet from the ground, was in form cup-shaped, measuring two inches internally in diameter at the mouth, and three externally, with a depth of two inches. It was constructed of cotton, fine wool, a few fibres of plants, and so elaborately felted together as to be of uniform thickness throughout.

Mr. Audubon was in error in regard to the eggs, which he describes as pure white. Their ground-color is of pure crystalline whiteness, but they are freely and boldly marked all over with deep reddish-brown and red spots. These, so far as we have compared the eggs, are larger, more numerous, and more deeply marked than are any eggs of the _atricapillus_ we have ever met with.

According to the observations of the late Dr. Alexander Gerhardt of Whitfield County, Georgia, these birds usually breed in holes that have been previously dug out by the _Picus pubescens_, or in decaying stumps not more than five or six feet from the ground. He never met with its nest in living trees. The eggs are from five to seven in number, and are usually deposited in Georgia from the 10th to the last of April.

The eggs of this species are slightly larger than those of the _atricapillus_, and the reddish-brown blotches with which they are profusely covered are much more distinctly marked. They are of a spheroidal oval in shape, have a pure white ground, very uniformly and generally sprinkled with blotches of a reddish-brown. They measure .60 by .50 of an inch.

Parus rufescens, TOWNS.

CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE.

_Parus rufescens_, TOWNSEND, J. A. N. Sc. Phil. VII, II, 1837,
190.—AUD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 371, pl. cccliii.—IB. Birds Am.
1841, 158, pl. cxxix.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 394; Review,
83.—COOPER & SUCKLEY, P. R. R. Rep. XII, II, 1859, 194
(nesting).—SCLATER, Catal. 1861, 14, no. 86.—DALL & BANNISTER
(Alaska).—COOPER, Birds Cal. 1, 47. _Pœcile rufescens_, BONAP.
Consp. 1850, 230.

SP. CHAR. Whole head and neck above, and throat from bill to upper part of breast, sooty blackish-brown. Sides of head and neck, upper part of breast, and middle of body, white; back and sides dark brownish-chestnut. Length, 4.75 inches; wing, 2.36; tail, 2.16.

HAB. Western United States, near Pacific coast.

HABITS. The Chestnut-backed Titmouse was first obtained by Townsend on the banks of the Columbia River, and described in the Journal of the Philadelphia Academy. It is a resident, throughout the year, of the forests of the Columbia, and is found throughout California. Like all of this familiar family, they may be seen in small flocks, of all ages, in the autumn and winter, moving briskly about, uttering a number of feeble querulous notes, after the manner of the _atricapillus_, but never joining in anything like the quaint and jingling song of that bird. They occasionally have a confused warbling chatter. These busy little groups may be often seen in company with the _Parus occidentalis_ and the _Regulus satrapa_, moving through the bushes and thickets, carefully collecting insects, their larvæ and eggs, for a few moments, and then flying off for some other place. They are supposed to rear their young in the midst of the densest forests.

Mr. Nuttall states that when the gun thins their ranks the survivors display surprising courage and solicitude, following their destroyer with wailing cries, entreating for their companions.

Dr. Gambel found the young of this species in great abundance around Monterey in the fall and winter months. Dr. Heermann saw them in June, 1852, feeding their young in the vicinity of San Francisco, where, however, they are rare.

In Washington Territory, Dr. Cooper found this the most abundant species. It preferred the dense evergreens, where large parties could be found at all seasons busily seeking food among the leaves and branches, ascending even to the highest tops. They were usually in company with the _Reguli_ and the other Titmice. Mr. Bischoff found them abundant at Sitka.

They nest, like all the others of this genus, in holes in soft decayed trunks and large limbs of trees a few feet from the ground. Their eggs are not as yet known.

Parus hudsonicus, FORST.

HUDSON’S BAY CHICKADEE; BROWN-CAPPED CHICKADEE.

_Parus hudsonicus_, FORSTER, Philos. Trans. LXII, 1772, 383, 430.—
AUD. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 543, pl. cxciv.—IB. Birds Am. II, 1841,
155, pl. cxxviii.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 395; Review,
82.—SAMUELS, 185.—DALL & BANNISTER (Alaska). _Parus hudsonicus_
var. _littoralis_, BRYANT, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. IX. 1863, 368.

SP. CHAR. Above yellowish olivaceous-brown; top of head purer brown, not very different in tint. Chin and throat dark sooty-brown. Sides of head white. Beneath white; sides and anal region light brownish-chestnut. No whitish on wings or tail. Tail nearly even, or slightly emarginate and rounded. Lateral feathers about .20 shortest. Length about 5 inches; wing, 2.40; tail, 2.66.

HAB. Northern portions of North America, from Atlantic to Pacific.

Specimens from the most northern localities appear larger than those from Maine and Nova Scotia (_P. littoralis_, BRYANT), with proportionally longer tails (3.00 inches, instead of 2.40). We can, however, detect no other difference.

The _Parus sibiricus_ of Europe is very similar in coloration and characters to the _P. hudsonicus_. The principal difference is seen in the cheeks, which in _sibiricus_ are pure white, this color extending along the entire side of the neck, widening behind, and extending round towards the back. In _hudsonicus_ the cheeks behind the eyes and sides of the neck are ash-gray, the white being confined to the region below or near the eye. The smoky-gray of the upper part of head and neck in _sibiricus_ is in a stronger contrast with the brighter rufescent-gray of the back, and is separated from it by an obscure, concealed, whitish dorsal half-collar, represented in _hudsonicus_ only by a dull grayish shade in the plumage.

HABITS. This interesting species, one of the liveliest and most animated of its family, belongs to the northern and eastern sections of North America. It is found in the eastern and northern portions of Maine, and probably also in the northern parts of New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. In the heavily wooded mountain-valley of Errol, in the latter State, Mr. Maynard met with this bird in the latter part of October, in company with the common _atricapillus_. In the same month he also obtained two birds in Albany, in the northwestern corner of Maine. A single specimen was taken at Concord, Massachusetts, October 29, by Mr. William Brewster.

Near Calais it is resident, but not common. It is more abundant in the islands of the Bay of Fundy, where it takes the place, almost exclusively, of the _atricapillus_. The writer first met with these lively little wood-sprites in 1850, in the thick swampy woods which cover one of the small islands near Grand Menan. Their general appearance as they flitted through the woods, or rustled restlessly among the tangled débris of decaying trees and underbrush with which the forest was choked, was not unlike that of our common Black-Cap. Yet there was an indescribable something both in their cries and in their manners that at once suggested a difference of species. To my ear their cries were sharper, clearer, and a trifle harsher. There was none of that resonant jingle so full of charm in the Chickadee. Their notes, too, were more articulate, more like distinct words, and were brought out at certain times with an emphasis the effect of which was very striking. Beginning with _tschā-dēē_, the _dēē-dēē-dēē_ was reiterated with an almost incessant volubility.

It seemed to be a more retiring bird, never frequenting the houses, but keeping closely to thick and retired woods. Yet it is not a timid species, but seemed entirely unmindful of our presence, or, when mindful of it, to resent it as an impropriety, rather than to fear it as a danger. They apparently had nests or young at the time of my visit, though I could not detect their locality. One pair became at last so annoyed at my prolonged presence as to manifest their uneasiness by keeping within a few feet of my head, following me wherever I went, and without ceasing from their close surveillance until I finally left their grove and emerged into the open country. All the time they brought out the cry of _dēē-dēē_ with a clear, ringing emphasis that was almost startling.

A few days later, being at Halifax, Mr. Andrew Downes, the naturalist, took me to the nest of these birds in a small grove in the vicinity of that city. The nest was in a small beech-tree, and had been cut through the living wood. The excavation, which was not more than two feet from the ground, was about ten inches in depth, was in a horizontal position only about two inches, where it turned abruptly downward, and from a width of an inch and a half assumed a width of three, and a depth of seven or eight inches. This was warmly lined with feathers and soft fur. The nest contained young birds. These particulars we only ascertained when we had laid bare the excavation by a sharp hatchet. Though disappointed in our search for eggs, yet we witnessed a very touching manifestation of devotion on the part of the parents, and of neighborly solicitude in various other inmates of the grove, which was at once most interesting and a scene long to be remembered.

With all the self-sacrificing devotion of the Black-Cap, these birds displayed a boldness and an aggressive intrepidity that at once commanded our respect and admiration. I never witnessed anything quite equal to it. They flew at our faces, assailed our arms as we wielded the invading hatchet, and it was difficult not to do them even unintentional injury without abandoning our purpose. Before we could examine the nest they had entered, and had to be again and again removed. As soon as we were satisfied that the nest of this heroic pair did not contain what we sought, we left them, and turned to look with equal admiration upon the indignant assembly of feathered remonstrants by which we were surrounded. The neighboring trees swarmed with a variety of birds, several of which we had never before seen in their summer homes. There were the Red-Poll Warbler, the Black and Yellow Warbler, and many others, all earnestly and eloquently crying out shame upon our proceedings.

Dr. Bryant, in his Notes on the Birds of Yarmouth, N. S., etc., mentions finding quite a number of this species on Big Mud Island, near that place. A pair of these birds with their young were seen by him near Yarmouth on the 3d of July. Their habits seemed to him identical with those of the Black-Cap. The young were fully grown and could fly with ease, yet their parents were so solicitous about their safety that he could almost catch them with his hand. Their notes appeared to him similar to those of our common species, but sharper and more filing, and can be readily imitated by repeating, with one’s front teeth shut together, the syllables _tzēē-dēē-dēē-dēē_.

Mr. Audubon found a nest of this Titmouse in Labrador. It was built in a decayed stump about three feet from the ground, was purse-shaped, eight inches in depth, two in diameter, and its sides an inch thick. It was entirely composed of the finest fur of various quadrupeds, chiefly of the northern hare, and all so thickly and ingeniously matted throughout as to seem as if felted by the hand of man. It was wider at the bottom than at the top. The birds vehemently assailed the party.

Mr. Ross, in notes communicated to the late Mr. Kennicott, mentions that specimens of this species were shot at Fort Simpson, October 13, in company with _P. septentrionalis_, and others were afterwards seen towards the mountains. The notes he describes as harsher than those of the _septentrionalis_. The Smithsonian museum contains specimens from Fort Yukon and Great Slave Lake, besides the localities already referred to. Mr. Dall found it the commonest Titmouse at Nulato, abundant in the winter, but not present in the spring.

The eggs of this species measure .56 by .47 of an inch, are of a rounded oval shape, and with a white ground are somewhat sparingly marked with a few reddish-brown spots. These are usually grouped in a ring around the larger end.

GENUS PSALTRIPARUS, BONAP.

_Psaltriparus_, BONAP. Comptes Rendus, XXXI, 1850, 478. (Type, _P.
melanotis_.)
_Ægithaliscus_, CABANIS, Museum Heineanum, 1851, 90. (Type, _Parus
erythrocephalus_.)
_Psaltria_, CASSIN, Ill. N. Am. Birds, 1853, 19.

GEN. CHAR. Size very small and slender. Bill very small, short, compressed, and with its upper outline much curved for the terminal half. Upper mandible much deeper than under. Tail long, slender, much graduated; much longer than the wings; the feathers very narrow. Tarsi considerably longer than the middle toe. No black on the crown or throat. Eyes white in some specimens, brown in others. Nest purse-shaped; eggs unspotted, white.

No bird of this genus belongs to the eastern portion of the United States. The three species may be defined as follows:—

A. Head striped with black on the sides.

P. melanotis. The stripes passing under the eye and uniting on
the occiput. _Hab._ Eastern Mexico

B. No stripes on the head.

P. minimus. Back ashy; crown light brown. _Hab._ Pacific
Province of United States … var. _minimus._

Back and crown uniform ashy. _Hab._ Middle Province and
southern Rocky Mountains of United States … var. _plumbeus._

Psaltriparus melanotis, BONAP.

BLACK-EARED BUSH-TITMOUSE.