CAROLINA CHICKADEE 71 



Doctor Brewer gives a remarkable instance of 

 the maternal devotion shown by the Chickadees : 

 " A Black-cap was seen to fly into a rotten stump 

 near the roadside in Brookline. The stump was 

 so much decayed that its top was readily broken 

 off and the nest exposed. The mother refused to 

 leave until forcibly taken off by the hand, and 

 twice returned to the nest when thus removed, 

 and it was only by holding her in the hand that 

 an opportunity was given to ascertain that there 

 were seven young birds in her nest. She made 

 no complaints, uttered no outcries, but resolutely 

 and devotedly thrust herself between her nest- 

 lings and the seeming danger. When released 

 she immediately flew back to them, covered them 

 under her sheltering wings, and looked up in the 

 faces of her tormentors wdth a quiet and resolute 

 courage that could not be surpassed." 



Carolina Chickadee : Parus caroli7iensis. 



Similar to the northern Chickadee, but smaller ; wings and tail 

 feathers not edged with white. Length, about 4| inches. 



Geographic Distribution. — Southeastern United States ; 

 north to southern New Jersey and Illinois ; west to Missouri 

 and Texas ; resident from southern New Jersey southward. 



One spring day, on first coming to Washing- 

 ton, when out in the Zoological Park with a field 

 class, I heard a song that w^as new to me. Creep- 

 ing up cautiously, w^e were able to get under the 

 very tree on which the bird was hunting, and 

 the class stood with notebooks raised, taking 



