334 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
notes, but is a great pest to farmers, though extremely shy in its habits. 
The species in this country are generally familiar about our doors, and are held 
in high favor for their pretty songs and their usefulness in devouring harmful 
insects. 
The Titmouse is represented by twenty-four species in America, and an 
equally large variety dis¬ 
tributed throughout other 
parts of the world. They, 
too, bear a striking family 
resemblance, being dis¬ 
tinguishable from other 
birds by their sharp, 
strong beaks, boldly de¬ 
fined color of plumage, 
and a nervous, incessant 
movement, as if it were 
impossible for them to 
remain quiet a moment. 
The claws are sharp and 
strong, enabling them to 
cling to the under part 
of small branches, or 
hang suspended from £he 
bottom of an apple while 
feasting on the fruit. 
Their appetite, however, 
is omnivorous, as they 
feed alike on seeds, fruit, 
insects, and have a special 
fondness for fresh meat. 
They generally build their 
nests in the hollows of a 
tree stump, or the crevice 
of a wall, in which some¬ 
times as many as a dozen 
whitish-gray eggs are laid. 
There are noticeable ex¬ 
ceptions to this rule, how¬ 
ever, as some species rival 
the oriole or tailor-bird in 
group op titmice. the wonderful construc¬ 
tion of their nests. 
The great titmouse , the blue titmouse , the long-tailed titmouse , the coal 
titmouse , and the marsh titmouse , are common in England and other parts of 
Europe. The crested titmouse is found in the northern parts of Europe. The 
bearded titmouse , plentiful in Holland, has tufts of black feathers pendent like 
whiskers from the sides of its face. The yellow-checked titmouse is an Asiatic 
bird, found chiefly among the Himalayas. It is a very queerly-marked bird, 
the cheeks and whole under-surface of the body being pale-yellow, the flanks 
