OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. x 77 



following summer and fall, they seemed strangely absent from 



much of the northern woods. 



243. Faras atricapillus Linn. Chickadee. 



A common permanent resident throughout the Transition 

 and sub-Canadian areas. On the White Mountains, it is rarely 

 observed much higher than the 3,000 foot limit during the 

 breeding season, giving place about that level, to the Hudsoni- 

 an Chickadee. After the nesting period, small family parties, 

 consisting of the parent birds and their several full grown 

 young, are frequent in all the woodlands, and rarely they wan- 

 der up into the small timber growth to perhaps 4,000 feet, on 

 the mountains. The immature birds are easily to be distin- 

 guished by their notes which somewhat resemble those of the 

 Hudsonian Chickadee. In late summer, many warblers, nut- 

 hatches, kinglets, and vireos join these small flocks of Chicka- 

 dees, and form large bands which rove through the forests in 

 an apparently aimless way, searching for food. After the war- 

 blers and other birds of passage have left, these little flocks still 

 hunt through the winter woods going at least as high as 3,400 

 feet, at which level in late December I have seen them in Car- 

 ter's Notch. In April, these flocks break up, and the birds 

 pair off to nest. Often at this season is heard their plaintive 

 love note, and a whistled imitation, though usually disregarded 

 at other seasons, is now eagerly answered by any single bird 

 within hearing, and seldom have I failed on such occasions to 

 bring the bird to the trees over my head. Sometimes, by con- 

 tinuing to imitate the note as I walked along, I have had a lone 

 Chickadee follow me for over a mile, answering note for note. 

 I have sometimes noticed also that birds which have evidently 

 paired already, will pay no attention to the call even after many 

 repetitions. 



244. Paras huclsonicus Forst. Hudsonian Chickadee. 



A rather common permanent resident of the upper-Can idian 



area on the higher White Mountains and in the northern part 



of the state. During the breeding season, it is confined, on the 



White Mountains, to the damp fir and spruce belt from 3,000 



