A VES— TITMOUSE. 525 



They are very fond of flesh, vast admirers of suet, and frequently pick bones 

 from dunghills and other places. This bird is distinguished above the tesi 

 of its kind, by its rancor against the owl. 



There are many European varieties of this bird ; the greater titmouse is 

 about five inches in length. The nests of almost every kind are constructed 

 with the most exquisite art, and with materials of the utmost delicacy ; such 

 as moss, hair, and the web of spiders, with which the whole is strongly tied 

 together. 



BLACK-CAPT TITMOUSE. i 



This is one of our American birds, active, noisy, and restless, hardy beyond 

 any of his size, braving the severest cold of our continent, as far north as tlfe 

 country around 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, approach nearer to the scenes of cultivation. They begin to 

 build in April, choosing the deserted hole of a squirrel or woodpecker, and 

 sometimes, with incredible labor, digging one out for themselves. They tra- 

 verse the vv^oods from tree to tree, tumbling, chatting, 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 larvae. They also visit the 

 orchards, the sides of the barn, and barn-yard, in the same pursuit. 



These birds sometimes fight violently with each other, and are known to 

 attack young and sickly birds that are incapable of resistance, always direct- 

 ing their blows against the skull. 



The crested titmouse is also an inhabitant of the United States, but is 

 more common in the northern parts. 



1 Parus bicolor, Lin. 



