1891] 



MARYLAND ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. Ill 



Besides this it possesses a few other very squeaky notes, entirely 

 at variance with the musical whistle, and both may be heard 

 throughout the whole year. 



Farus carolinensis (Aud.). Carolina Chickadee. 



This restless little bird is likewise a resident, sharing with the 

 preceding species the same habits and frequenting the same 

 localities. The Chickadee, like the titmouse, prefers the vicin- 

 ity of the city mainly, if not wholly, during the colder season. 

 In winter, whenever and wherever we may go, we are sure to 

 find these jolly birds. They form iittle parties amongst them- 

 selves, or in company with the creeper and " golden-crowned 

 kinglet," and soon make their presence known by their incessant 

 squeaky notes. Besides this unmusical squeaking, the chick- 

 adee possesses a very simple, although neat little song, which 

 may be given by the following syllables, Twe-da-we, twe-da-wit, 

 given with a kind of nasal twang. This strain is heard not only 

 during the summer, but also during the winter. The nest, an 

 exceedingly cozy-looking structure, is made partly of moss. 

 One nest, found early in May, was hid in the stump of a small 

 tree about five feet from the ground, and contained six eggs. 

 The eggs were white with a faint rosy tinge and speckled with 

 reddish brown, these speckles predominating near the thicker 

 end. The appearance of the eggs did not indicate that incuba- 

 tion had begun. 



Sitta carolinensis (Lath.). White-breasted Nuthatch. 



Of the two species of Nuthatches which the writer has 

 observed near Baltimore, this is the more common, and the one 

 which remains with us during the warm season. It is in the 

 fullest sense a resident bird ; and it is in my opinion the best 

 climber of our woods, not even excepting the species of wood- 

 pecker. When we consider the absence of support from the 

 sides of the tail, the feathers there being soft, and observe its 

 practice of climbing downward, we are constrained to admit that 

 it possesses qualities not attaiued by the most advanced of the 

 woodpeckers. The absence of a scansorial tail, of course, forces 

 the bird to rely for support solely on his feet, and this causes a 



