f 
BLACK-CAPPED TITMOUSE. 91 
BLACK-CAPPED TITMOUSE.— PARUS ATRICAPILLUS. — 
: Fie. 32. 
Parus atricapillus, Linn. Syst. i. 341, 6. — Gmel. Syst. i. 1008.—La Mésange & 
tate noire de Canada, jujfon, v. 408. — Canada Titmouse, Atct. Zool. ii. No. 
328. — Lath. Syn. iv. 542, 9.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7380. : 
PARUS ATRICAPILLUS. — Linnzvs.* 
Parus atricapillus, Bonap. Synop. p. 100.— North. Zool. p. 226. 
T urs is one of our resident birds, active, noisy, and restless ; hardy 
beyond any of his size, braving the severest cold of our continent as 
far north as the country round 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 leave the depths 
of the woods, and approach nearer to the scenes of cultivation. At 
such seasons, they abound among evergreens, feeding on the seeds of 
the pine-tree; they are also fond of sunflower seeds, and associate in 
parties of six, eight, or more, attended by the two species of Nuthatch 
already described, the Crested Titmouse, Brown Creeper, and small 
Spotted Woodpecker; the whole forming a very nimble and restless 
company, whose food, manners, and dispositions are pretty much alike. 
About the middle of April they begin to build, choosing the deserted 
hole of a Squirrel or Woodpecker, and sometimes, with incredible la- 
bor, digging out one for themselves. The female lays six white eggs, 
marked with minute specks of red; the first brood appear about the 
beginning of June, and the second towards the end of July ; the whole 
of the family continue to associate together during winter. They 
traverse the woods in regular progression, from tree to tree, tumbling, 
chattering, and hanging from the extremities of the branches, examin- 
ing about the roots of the leaves, buds, and crevices of the bark, for 
insects and their larve. They also: frequently visit the orchards, 
particularly in fall, the sides of the barn and barn yard, in the same 
pursuit, trees in such situations being generally much infested with 
insects. We, therefore, with pleasure, rank this little bird among the 
farmer’s friends, and trust our rural citizens will always recognize him 
as such. . . 
This species has a very extensive range; it has been found on the 
western coast of America, as far north as Jat. 62°; it is common at 
Hudson’s Bay, and most plentiful there during winter, as it then ap- 
proaches the settlements in quest of food. Protected by a remarkably 
thick covering of long, soft, downy plumage, it braves the severest 
cold of those northern regions. \ 
* This is very closely allied to the Parus palustris, the Marsh Titmouse of Eu- 
rope; but it is exclusively American, and ranges extensively to the north. "The 
authors of the Northern Zoology mention them as one of the most common birds in 
the Fur countries ; a family inhabits almost every thicket. —Ep. 
