140 
VEPvTEBKATA. 
THE P. XAXTHOGENYS. 
The P. xanthogenys is a native of the Himalaya Mountains, five and a half inches long, has a 
full crest of black feathers, back olive, cheeks 
yellow, sides of the chest and flanks yellow ; 
a broad black line passing down the throat; 
is somewhat smaller than the great tit. 
Amongthe American species wemay first no- 
tice the Black-capped Titmouse, P. a ^rzca- 
pzV/ws, familiarly known by the name of Chick- 
adee, from its common cry, and sometimes call- 
ed Snow-Bird, from its appearing about the 
houses in flocks upon the first flights of snow. 
It is five and a half inches long ; the top of 
the head and neck black; the rest of the 
upper parts lead-colored ; beneath yellowish- 
white. It is a permanent resident among 
us; 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 nut-hatch, the crested titmouse, brown creeper, and small spotted wood- 
pecker, the whole forming a very nimble and restless company, whose food, manners, and dis- 
positions are pretty much alike. About the middle of April they begin to build, choosing the 
deserted hole of a squii-rel or woodpecker, 
and sometimes, with incredible labor, dig- 
ging out one for themselves. The female 
lays six white eggs, marked with minute 
specks of red ; the flrst brood appear about 
the beginning of June, and the second to- 
ward the end of July; the whole of the 
family continue to associate together dur- 
ing winter. They traverse the woods in 
regular progression, from tree to tree, tum- 
bling, chattering, and hanging from the ex- 
tremities of the branches, examining about 
the roots of the leaves, buds, and crevices 
of the bark, for insects and their larvaj. 
They also frequently visit the orchards, particularly in fall, in the same pursuit, trees in such situ- 
ations being generally much infested with insects. This species is very widely distributed through- 
out North America. 
Tlie Carolina Tit or Caeolina Chickadee, P. CaroUnensis, a little over four inches long, 
black above and grayish beneath, and frequenting marshy situations, is found in the Southern 
States; the Long-tailed Chickadee, P. septentrionalis, six inches long, body ashy-brown above, 
below ashy-white, is found in Missouri and the Kocky Mountains ; the Mountain-Tit, P. monta- 
nus, five inches long, body above cinereous, below ashy-brown, is found in California; the Hud- 
son Bay Tit, P. Rudsonicus, five inches long, above ashy-brown, below ashy-white, found by 
THE COMMON CHICKAUbK. 
