BIRDS OF NEW YORK 503 



Rochester, May 21, 1903 (E. H. Eaton); Brockport, December 29, 1908, 

 12 seen (George F. Guelf); Junius, Seneca county, March 8, 1910 (C. J. 

 Hampton); Geneva, February 22, 1913 (E. H. Eaton). Chapman's record 

 (American Museum Journal 6, No. 3, page 186) of its breeding on Staten 

 Island, on the authority of Hollick, is the only definite record of its nesting 

 within the State which has come to my attention. It is now rare on Long 

 Island, although evidently more common in the days of Giraud, and it is 

 certainly rare or uncommon in the lower Hudson valley. On various 

 occasions when it was noted in western New York, pairs or small flocks 

 were found together, and as these occurrences were early in the season we 

 would naturally be led to infer that it occasionally breeds in this district, 

 but no definite record can be found. 



Haunts and habits. The Tufted titmouse prefers groves and wood- 

 lands, is spritely in habits and by no means shy in disposition. Its common 

 notes are a frequently reiterated loud clear whistle, written by Chapman 

 and others as peto, peto, peto, peto; at other times it calls de-de-de-de , some- 

 what like the Chickadee, but louder. Its nest is usually placed in the 

 deserted hole of a woodpecker or a hollow stump, and is composed of 

 leaves, strips of bark, moss and feathers. The eggs are from 5 to 8 in 

 number, of a creamy white ground color, closely spotted with reddish brown. 

 They average .74 by .56 inches in dimensions. 



Penthestes atricapillus atricapillus (Linnaeus) 

 Chickadee 



Plate 103 



Parus atricapillus Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 12. 1766. 1:341 



DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 60, fig. 100 

 Penthestes atricapillus at'ricapillus A. 0. U. Check List. Ed. 3-. 



1910. p. 349. No. 735 



penthestes, Gr., one that mourns, alluding to its plaintive cry; atricapillus, Lat., 

 black-haired, black-crowned 



Description. Crown, nape and throat jet black; rest of upper parts 

 ashy gray; wing coverts margined with whitish; wing and tail feathers. 



