137 



CRESTED TITMOUSE. 

 PARUS BICOLOR. 

 [Plate VIII.— Fig. 5.] 



Parus bicoior, Linn. Si/st. I, 544, 1. — La Mesange huppee de la Caroline^ Buff. V, 451.~^[ 

 Toupet Titmouse^ Arct. Zool. I, No. 324. — Lath. Syn.lY, 544, IL — Peale's Museum} 

 No. 7364. j 



THIS is another associate of the preceding species ; but more 

 noisy, more musical, and more suspicious, tho 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 thro 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 appear- 

 ance. Its food corresponds with that of the foregoing ; it possesses 

 considerable strength in the muscles of its neck, and is almost per- 

 petually digging into acorns, nuts, crevices and rotten parts of the 

 bark, after the larvae of insects. It is also a constant resident 

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

 When confined to a cage it soon becomes familiar, and will subsist 

 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 thro 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 



N n 



