Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/804

 77-i TITLARK hind toe long with a very long sharp claw. The species are numerous, inhabiting most parts of the world and in every variety of region, some being migratory, others perraa- American Titlark (Anthus Ludovicianus). nent residents. The nest is made upon the ground, of dry grass and stalks, lined with finer plants and hair ; the eggs are four to six. The American titlark (A. Ludovicianus, Licht.) is 6 in. long and 11 in. in alar extent; olive brown above, each feather darkest in the mid- dle; beneath yellowish brown, the sides of the neck spotted longitudinally with dark brown ; around eyes and superciliary stripe yellowish ; central tail feathers like back, the others black- ish brown, the external one mostly white and a white spot at the end of the second ; prima- ries edged with whitish, and the other quills with pale brownish ; bill and feet black. It is very generally distributed over North Ameri- ca, extending to the Pacific and to Greenland, and is accidental in Europe. The flight is ex- ceedingly easy and graceful ; it occurs in flocks of tens or hundreds running fast on the ground. It is found in the fields, on the prairies, along rivers, and on the sea shore; the notes are clear and sharp tweets, the last much pro- longed ; it breeds as far N. as Labrador, both sexes incubating, and sitting so closely as al- most to allow themselves to be trodden upon before flying; the eggs are six, $ by in., reddish brown, with darker dots and lines at the larger end. The Missouri titlark (neocorys Spraguei, Sclater), 5 in. long and 9 in. in extent of wings, in song and habits comes the nearest of American birds to the European skylark. Among the European species, the most extensively distributed is the meadow titlark or pipit (A. pratensis, Bechst.), also called titling ; it is 6 in. long and 9| in. in alar extent, olivaceous above, spotted with dusky; brownish white below, tinged ante- riorly with red ; neck, sides, and fore part of breast with oblong brownish black spots. It is of slender and elegant form, generally dis- tributed over Europe, a permanent resident in Great Britain, and most abundant in meadows; TITMOUSE it sings from the middle of April to the end of July, and rears two broods in a season; its notes are remarkably fine, the bird uttering them perched, seated, or flying, in the last case beginning at a considerable height, hovering a little while, and descending warbling to the ground. It is in the nest of this species that the cuckoo generally places its eggs. TITMOUSE, the popular name of the parince, a subfamily of the warblers, found in all parts of the world except South America. The bill is short, strong, rather conical and straight, with the tip entire; nostrils generally con- cealed by the frontal plumes ; wings moderate and pointed, with the first three quills grad- uated ; tail more or less long, rounded and even ; tarsi long, slender, and scaled in front ; inner toe shortest ; claws strong and curved. In the typical genus parus (Linn.) the bill is somewhat curved, not very stout ; the head is not crested ; the fourth and fifth quills are equal and longest ; the crown and throat gen- erally black. There are more than 50 species described in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, small, sprightly, and bold birds, and many of them with beautiful colors. They sometimes do considerable damage in orchards by picking open the buds in search of insects. The nests are made in the forks of bushes and trees, of moss, grasses, and wool, lined with hair and feathers ; many of the best known spe- cies deposit their eggs in holes of decayed trees, left by the woodpeckers or made by them- selves; the eggs are six to twelve. The lar- gest of the well known American species is the tufted titmouse (lophophanes Ucolor, Bonap.), 6 in. long and about 10 in. in alar extent ; the crown has a conspicuous crest, the bill is conical with the upper and lower outlines con- vex, wings graduated with the first quill very short, and the tail moderately.long and rounded. The color above is ashy black ; frontal band black ; under parts uniform whitish, sides brownish chestnut ; sides of head nearly white, and bill black. It is found throughout eastern Tufted Titmouse (Lophophanes bicolor). North America to the Missouri, appearing in the middle states about May 1, in the summer inhabiting the forests, in flocks or families of eight or ten, in company with the nuthatch