158 
CHESTNUT-BACKED TITMOUSE.. 
Parus rufescens, Towns. 
PLATE CXSIX. — Male and Female. 
Mr. Nuttall’s notice respecting the present species is as follows : — 
“ The Chestnut-backed Titmouse is seen throughout the year in the forests 
of the Columbia, and as far south as Upper California, in all which tract 
it breeds, forming, as I have some reason to believe, a pendulous, or at least 
an 'exposed nest, like some of the European species. It is made of large 
quantities of hypna and lichens, and copiously and coarsely lined with deer's 
hair and large feathers, such as those of the Grouse and the Jay. They 
are commonly seen in small flocks of all ages in the autumn and winter, 
when they move about briskly, and emit a number of feeble querulous notes, 
after the manner of the Chickadee, or common species, Parus atricapillus, 
but seldom utter any thing like a song, though now and then, as they glean 
about, they utter a t’she , de , de, or t’dee, t’dee, dee , their more common 
querulous call, however, being like t’she, de, de, vait, t’she, de, de, vait, some- 
times also a confused warbling chatter. The busy troop, accompanied 
often by the common species, the Regains tricolor, and the small yellow- 
bellied Parus, are seen flitting through bushes and thickets, carefully 
gleaning insects and larvae for an instant, and are then off to some other 
place around, proceeding with restless activity to gratify the calls of 
hunger and the stimulus of caprice. Thus they are seen to rove along for 
miles together, until satisfied or fatigued, when they retire to rest in the 
recesses of the darkest forests, situations which they eventually choose for 
tfleir temporary domicile, where in solitude and retirement they rear 
their young, and for the whole of the succeeding autumn and winter 
remain probably together in families. When the gun thins their ranks, it 
is surprising to see the courage, anxiety, and solicitude of these little 
creatures : they follow you with their wailing scold, and entreat for their 
companions in a manner that impresses you with a favourable idea of their 
social feelings and sympathy." 
Mr. Townsend says, that “ the Chinook Indians call this species a Jcul. 
It inhabits the forests of the Columbia river, where it breeds and goes in 
flocks in the autumn, more or leas gregarious through the season. The 
legs and feet are light blue." 
