THE PERCHING BIRDs. 39 
meadows while it was blowing half a gale, and shout- 
ing to all the world ?sweet here / t'sweet here! I was 
on the point of turning homeward, but sought the lee 
of the hickory instead, and while the blow lasted, and 
through a short sum- 
mer shower, the bird 
kept whistling, not to 
keep its courage up, 
but through excess 
of spirits, ?szweet 
here! tsweet here! 
Birds like that are a 
blessing. 
This titmouse, 
being a resident, af- 
fords abundant op- 
portunity to carefully study it. As a summer bird, 
associated more or less with half a hundred other 
birds, it is not particularly prominent except when 
it happens to take advantage of a quiet moment and 
whistle so loudly that every dog within half a mile 
pricks up his ears. 
There are several other titmice found in the South 
and far West, and all maintain the reputation of the 
group for liveliness and pluck; but not one is the 
superior of the crested tit of which I have spoken, 
nor have any of them any marked peculiarity from 
the general habits of the Eastern species. 
A very common little bird, that because of its un- 
obtrusive habits is not generally known, is the Brown 
Tree-creeper. The name, coupled with the color, de- 
scribes it most accurately. As a tree-creeper we 

Crested Titmouse. 
