THE RUFOUS-BELLIED TITMOUSE. 



305 



safely for the night, namely, under the fender, a locality which afforded it at the same 

 time sufficient space and shelter. This bird, from its familiarity and vivacity, was most 

 amusing. The cage was covered with close netting, which it several times cut through, 

 thereby effecting its escape into the room. It then flew to the children, and having taken 

 hold of a piece of bread or cake in the hand of the youngest, would not forego the object 

 of its attack, although shaken with the greatest force the child could exert ; indeed, the 

 latter was so persecuted on one occasion for a piece of apple, that she ran crying out of the 

 apartment. It was particularly fond of sugar. 



Confined in the same cage with this bird 

 were some other species, and among them a 

 redbreast, which it sometimes annoyed so 

 much as to bring upon its head severe chas- 

 tisement. A favourite trick was to pull the 

 feathers out of its fellow-prisoners. A young 

 willow wren was sadly tormented in this 

 way. A similar attempt was made on a 

 song-thrush introduced into its domicile, 

 but it was successfully repelled. This iniw- 

 chievous Tit escaped out of cioors several 

 times, but returned without being sought 

 for." 



The two little birds which are represented 

 in the accompanying illustration are among 

 the most striking examples of this pretty 

 group, the one for its bold and conspicuous 

 crest, and the other for the curious colouring 

 of the head and neck. 



The YF.LLOW-CHEEKED TITMOUSE inhabits 

 several parts of Asia, and is mostly found 

 among the north-western Himalayas, where 

 it is rather abundant. In its habits it re- 

 sembles the ordinary Titmouse of Europe. 

 The nest of this species is constructed of 

 moss, hair, and fibres, and is lined softly 

 with feathers. The position in which it is 

 placed is usually a cavity at the bottom of 

 some hollow stump, generally a decaying 

 oak, and it contains four or five eggs of a 

 delicate white blotched with brownish spots. 

 The colouring of this bird is rather peculiar 

 and decidedly bold. The top of the head, 

 the crest, a streak below the eye, and a broad 

 band reaching from the chin to the extremity 

 of the abdomen, are deep jetty black. The 

 cheeks are light yellow, as is the whole of 



the under surface of the body, with the ex- * 



eeption of the flanks, which take a greener 



hue. The wings are grey, mottled with black and white, and the tail is black with a 

 slight edging of olive-green. 



The RUFOUS-BELLIED TITMOUSE inhabits Southern India and Nepal, and cannot be con- 

 sidered as a rare bird. In this pretty creature the head, the crest, and the throat are jet 

 black, contrasting boldly with the pure white of the ear-coverts and the back of the neck. 

 The back, wings, and tail are ashen grey, washed with a perceptible tinge of blue, and 

 the abdomen is reddish grey, as are the edges of the primary and secondary quill-feathers 

 of the wing. 



9 ' Y 



KUFOUS-BELLIE0 TITMOUSE. Parus TV 

 YELLOW-CHEEKED TITMOUSE. Pants m 



idiventris. 

 nthogenys. 



