One of these birds kept in confinement by Dr. Bachman of Charleston was in the habit of hiding its food in the corner of its cage, in a small crevice, and of creeping at night 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.
The Tufted Titmouse passes its nights and days, when the weather is inclement, in the hollows of decayed trees or the deserted holes of the woodpeckers. In such places it also builds its nests. It has been known to excavate a hole for itself even in hard sound wood. Its nest is simply a rude lining of the selected cavity, composed of various soft and warm materials. In this are deposited from six to eight eggs. But a single brood is raised in a season. The young birds, as soon as they are fledged, hunt in company with their parents, and remain associated with them until the following spring. The eggs of this bird have a length of .75 of an inch and a breadth of .56. They are of a rounded oval in shape, and are thickly sprinkled with fine rust-colored dots, intermingled with a few larger markings of lilac, on a white ground.
Parus atricristatus, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phil. V, 1850, 103, pl. ii (Texas). Lophophanes atricristatus, Cassin, Ill. Birds Texas, etc. I, 1853, 13, pl. iii.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 385; Review, 78.—Cooper, Birds Cal. 1, 43.
Sp. Char. Crest very long and pointed (1.25 inches). Above ash-colored. A broad band on the forehead dirty white, rest of head above, with crest, black, tinged with ash on the sides. Color of the back shading insensibly into the dull ashy-white of the under parts. Sides of body pale brownish-chestnut. Female with the crest duller black. Iris dark brown. Length, about 5.25 inches; wing, 3.00.
Hab. Valley of Rio Grande, south, into Mexico. San Antonio. Texas. Vera Cruz, Sclater.
This species is not rare in Texas, where it has been noticed as far east as San Antonio.
Habits. So far as known, the Black-crested Titmouse is restricted in its distribution to the valley of the Rio Grande, including portions of Mexico and Western Texas. It was first met with in the latter State by John W. Audubon, and described by Mr. Cassin in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy.
In its general appearance and in all its habits it is mentioned as having so close a resemblance to the common Tufted Titmouse as to be hardly distinguishable from that bird. Dr. Woodhouse met with this species near San Antonio, Texas, in March, 1851. While his party was encamped on the Rio Salado he observed these birds busily engaged in capturing insects among the trees on the banks of the stream. Like all the members of this family, it was incessantly in motion and very noisy. Later in the season, on the 8th of May, the same party, when encamped on the Quihi, again found this species very abundant among the oaks. The young males, then fully grown, closely resembled the adult females, both wanting the black crest that distinguishes the mature male. He afterward noticed this species occurring at intervals along his route as far as the head waters of the Rio San Francisco in New Mexico. He observed it almost exclusively among the trees that bordered streams of water. The females and the young males invariably had crests of the same cinereous color as their general plumage, but in the latter slightly tinged with brown. They occurred in small parties, were very lively and sociable in their habits, and in their general appearance and even in their notes so very closely resembled the Eastern species as, at a short distance, to be hardly distinguishable from it.
Dr. Heermann, in his report on the birds of Lieutenant Parke’s survey, mentions having first observed this species near Fort Clarke, in Texas, where it was very abundant. He describes it as sprightly and active in its movements, searching with great assiduity for insects in the crevices of the bark and among the branches of trees. While thus engaged it keeps up a chattering note, varied with an occasional low and plaintive whistle. Its habits appeared to him to resemble most those of the common Parus atricapillus. Dr. Heermann states that it builds its nest in the hollow of trees, and that it lays from twelve to sixteen eggs. He does not, however, say that he ever met with its eggs, nor does he give any description of them. The nest, he states, is composed of fine dry grasses, feathers, wool, mosses, etc.
General Couch’s description of this species and its habits is very similar. He observed it in the province of New Leon, in Mexico, where he found it very abundant along the San Juan into the Sierra Madre. He describes it as a very lively bird, with a very perfect whistle of a single note.
Mr. Henry A. Dresser sought very diligently for its nest and eggs near San Antonio and Houston, in Texas, where he found the bird very common, and where he was sure many pairs remained to breed, but its nest was very hard to find, and the birds very wary. He succeeded in finding one nest, in a hollow tree, near the head springs of the San Antonio River, but it contained young. The nest he does not describe, nor does he mention the number of young it contained.
Parus inornatus, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phil. Aug. 1845, 265 (Upper California).—Ib. J. A. N. Sc. new ser. I, 1847, 35, pl. vii. Lophophanes inornatus, Cassin, Ill. 1853, 19.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 386; Review, 78.—Sclater, Catal. 1861, 14, no. 88.—Elliot, Illust. I, pl. iii.—Cooper, Birds Cal. 1, 42.
Sp. Char. Crest elongated. Color above olivaceous-ashy, beneath whitish. Sides of body and under tail-coverts very faintly tinged with brownish, scarcely appreciable. Sides of head scarcely different from the crown. Forehead obscurely whitish. Length, 5 inches; wing, 2.55.
Hab. Southern United States, from Rocky Mountains to Pacific; Western Nevada (Ridgway). W. Arizona (Coues).
The bill and feet of this species are lead-color. The third, fourth, and fifth quills are longest; the third and eighth about equal; the second is shorter than the shortest primaries. The lateral tail-feathers are a little shorter than the others.
A specimen from Fort Thorn has the crest longer than in other specimens before me, measuring 1.35 inches from base of bill to its tip. This may be a characteristic of the male, the sexes being otherwise alike.
Habits. The Gray Titmouse belongs essentially to the Pacific coast, coming eastward only as far as the banks of the Rio Grande in Texas. It was first discovered and described by Dr. Gambel, in his Birds of California. It has since been met with not only throughout California, but also in all the southern portions of the Rocky Mountains, in New Mexico, and from Mimbres to the Rio Grande.
Dr. Woodhouse met with this species in the San Francisco Mountains, near the Little Colorado River, New Mexico. He found it very abundant, feeding among the tall pines in company with the Sitta pygmæa, S. aculeata, and Parus montanus.
Dr. Gambel first noticed this species near Monterey on the 20th of November. It was flitting actively about among the evergreen oaks of that vicinity in company with large flocks of several kindred species. They were all in restless activity, searching every branch for insects. As well as he could distinguish its notes among those of the busy throng in the midst of which he observed it, they appeared to resemble very closely those of the common P. atricapillus. Upon his following it up, it would utter a loud scolding outcry, erect its high and pointed crest, and appear as angry as possible at the intrusion. He found it very common, frequenting tall bushes in small flocks, searching branches of low trees, uttering weak and slender cries, resembling the syllables tsēē dāy-dāy.
Dr. Heermann found it one of the most common of the birds of California, where it is resident throughout the year. He describes their notes as possessing an almost endless variety, so much so that he was repeatedly prompted to follow it as a new species. He met with a nest of this bird in a deserted woodpecker’s hole, which contained young.
Dr. Cooper has met with this species in February near San Diego, but not on the Colorado. They seem to prefer the evergreen-oak groves toward the middle of the State, but are not found in the higher Sierra Nevada. They are residents throughout the year in the evergreen oaks near San Francisco. He adds that they are seen in small parties, scattered about the trees, and calling to each other with a variety of sweet and loud notes, some of which are said to equal those of our best