Species II. PARUS BICOLOR. 



CRESTED TITMOUSE. 



[Plate VIII. rig. 5.] 



Parus bicolor, Linn. St/st. i., 544, 1. — La Mesange hupp4e de la Caroline, Bitff. r., 

 451. — Toupet Titmouse, Arct. Zool. i., No. 324.— Lath. Syn. iv., 544, 11. 



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 larvae of insects. It is also a con- 

 stant resident here. When shot at and wounded, it fights with great 

 spirit. When confined to a cage it soon becomes familiar, and will sub- 

 sist on hemp-seed, cherry-stones, apple seeds, and hickory nuts, broken 

 and thrown in to 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 color, 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 



(215). 



