144 CRESTED TITMOUSE. 



him, when on going up he finds it to be very different from what he expect- 

 ed. These sounds sometimes resemble a whistle, at another time a loud 

 murmur, and seem as if proceeding from a bird at a much greater distance. 



The crest of this species, which is generally erect, is a great improvement 

 to its general appearance, the tints of the plumage being, as you perceive, 

 kind reader, none of the most brilliant. The Crested Titmouse is of a rather 

 vicious disposition, which sometimes prompts it to attack smaller birds, and 

 destroy them by thumping their heads with its bill until it breaks the skull. 



This species sometimes forms a nest by digging a hole for the purpose in 

 the hardest wood, with great industry and perseverance, although it is more 

 frequently contented with the hole of the Downy Woodpecker, or some 

 other small bird of that genus. It fills the hole with every kind of warm 

 materials, after which the female deposits from six to eight eggs, of a pure 

 white, with a few red spots at the larger end. The eggs are laid about the 

 beginning of April in the Southern States, and nearly a month later in the 

 Middle Districts. As soon as the young are able to leave the nest, they are 

 seen following the parent birds, and continue with them until the next 

 spring. m 



My friend Dr. Bachman informs me, that he "kept a bird of this species 

 in confinement for some time. It was in the habit of hiding its food in the 

 corner of its cage in a crevice, and at night crept into a small box, where it 

 lay doubled up like a ball till the first light of the morning, when it resumed 

 its restless habits, continually trying to escape from the cage." This species 

 was not seen by Mr. Townsend on the Rocky Mountains, or near the 

 Columbia river; and Dr. Richardson does not mention its occurring in the 

 Fur Countries. I found it abundant in the Texas, and in all our Atlantic 

 States, as well as in Nova Scotia. 



In this species as in the rest, the palate is flat, with two longitudinal 

 ridges; the posterior aperture of the nares oblongo-linear; the tongue 3j 

 twelfths long, emarginate and papillate at the base, flat above, horny toward 

 the end, with three grooves terminating abruptly, and furnished with stiffish 

 bristles. The oesophagus is 2 inches long, and of the uniform width of two- 

 twelfths; the proventriculus a little wider. The stomach is small, elliptical, 

 4\ twelfths long, 3^ twelfths broad; its lateral muscles moderate; the epithe- 

 lium longitudinally rugous, and reddish-brown. The intestine is five inches 

 long, from 2^ twelfths to 2 twelfths in width; the coeca extremely small, 

 about 1 twelfth long, and i twelfth in width. There is on each side a very 

 slender salivary gland with two ducts. 



The trachea is 1 inch 4\ twelfths long, of the uniform width of l\ twelfths, 

 considerably flattened; its rings 60, the bronchial half rings 12. The muscles 

 as in the Warblers and Thrushes. 





