SÇ'' 382 )
C H E S T N U T - C R O W N E D TITMOUSE.
PJRlfg MfNfUfUS, TpWNSENP^
PLATE CCCLIII. Mill « P FKMAJ.»..
M Y friend N I : T T A I . I.'S account of this Titmouse, is as follows. " We
first observed the arrivai of this plain and diminutive species on the
banks of the A'ahiamet, near to its corifluetfco with tin; Columbia, about
the middle of May. Ftoppingrabout in the hazel thickets' which border
the alluvial meadows of thé "river, they appeared very intent and in
dustriously engaged in quest of small insects, chirping now and then a
Render call of Recognition. They generally flew off in pairs, but were
by no means shy, and kept always in the low bu>hes or the skirt of the
woods. The following day I hoard the males utter â sort of weak
monotonous short and quaint song, and about a week afterwards I had
the good fortune to find the nest, about which the male was so particularly
solicitous as almost unerringly to draw me to the spot, where
hung from a low bush, about 4 feet from the ground, his little curious
mansion, formed like a, long purso, w ith a round hole for entrance near
the summit. It was made chiefly of moss, down, lint of plants, and
lined with some feathers. The trggs, six.jn number, were pure white,
and already far gone towards being hatched. A :Sàw but few other
pairs is this vicinity, but the H iof June, in the dark woods near
Fort Vancouver, I again saw a flock of about twelve, which, on making
a chirp something like their own call, came around me very familiarly,
and kept up a most incessant and querulous chirping. The following
season (April 1836) I Saw numbers of these birds in the mountain
thickets around Santa Barbara, in Upper California, where they again
seemed untiringly employed in gleaning food in thé low bushes, picking
up oi catching their prey in all postures, sometimes like the common
Chickadee, head downwards, and letting no cranny or corner escape
their unwearied search. As wo did not see them in the winter, they
migrate in all probability throughout Mexico and. the Califorman peninsula
at this season."
According to Dr TOWXSKXD, " t i e Chinook» name it a-ka-ke-lok.
CHESTNUT CROWNED TITMOUSE. 888
It is a constant resident about the/Columbia River ; hops about in the
bushes, and frequently hangs from tho twigs in the manner of other
Titmice, twittering all the while with a rapid enunciation resembling
the words tkshish, tshist, tgeej twee. The irides are bright yellow."
PARUS MINIMUS, Taménd, Journal of Acad. Nat. Sciences of Philadelphia, vol- vii.
p. 180.
Adult Male, plate CCCLIII. Fig. 5.
Bill §hort, strong, compressed ; upper mandible with its outline
arched, the giifes sloping and convex. The edges sharp, the tip descending,
»cjite, and considerably exceeding that of the lower ; which
has the angle short, thé dorgal line »wending and very slightly eonvex,
the edges sharp, the tip acute. Nostrils round, basal. Head rather
large, broadly ovate, convex in front ; neck short ; body slender. Feet
of moderate length, tarsus proportionally longer than in any other
American species, stout, compressed, with seven anterior scutella, and
two lateral plattis, forming a very sharp edge behind. Toes moderately
stout, the first with its elaw equal to the third, the anterior united
as far as the first web. Claws rather. large, arched, compressed,
acute.
Plumage soft and blended. Wings, short, very broad, concave,
rounded; first quill half the length of the second, which is a quarter
of an inch shorter than the outer secondaries. Tail very long, being
half the entire length of the bird, slightly arched, mueh rounded, and
a little emarginate.
Bill black ; foot and claws dusky or blackish brown. Upper part
of the head, and hind neck dull greyish brown ; upper parts brownishgrey
; wiilgs and tail dusky brown, tinged with grey, the margins of
the quills and tail-feathers greyish-white. Cheeks of a paler tint than
the head ; all the lower parts brownish-white, the sides tinged with
reddish.
Length to end of tail inches ; wing from flexure ; tail ;
bill along the ridge ^ ; tarsus ; hind toe f j , its claw f j ; middle
toe rj, its claw fi
T
2.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLIII.
1 The Female is rather smaller, and its colours are somewhat paler.