282 THE CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. 



all times of Near, but his staple diet is fi.iriiied bv the eggs and larvae of insects. 

 These afe found tucked away in woody crannies, or else grouped on the under 

 surface of smaller limbs and persistent leaves, as of oak or madrone. 



On this account the Chickadee must frequently hang head downward; 

 and this he d(.ies \ery gracefully, using his tail to balance with, much as a 

 boy uses his legs in hanging from a "turning pole," swuiging to and fro a; 

 tho he thoroly enjoyed it. 



If possible, the ChestniU-backcd Chickadee is a little more delicately 

 moulded and mi:)re fay-like in demeanor than its gray-backed cousin, the 

 Oregon Chickadee. Lhilike the latter, it is found commonly in the densest fir 

 woods. It is found, also, in the oak groves (if the prairie country; and, in 

 general, it may be said to prefer dry situations. No hard and fast lines can 

 be drawn, however, in the distribution of the two species. In many sections 

 the_v mingle freeh-, and are equally alnuidant. In others, either may be 

 quite unaccountably absent. 



.\s nearly as we have made out to date, the commoner notes of the 

 Chest nut -backed Chickadee closely simulate those of the Oregon. The szvccfcc 

 call is either indistinguishable or a mere shade smaller. The sneezing note 

 becomes UK.ire distinct as kcchc::^^'!^^ : and "CliiclauL-r" becomes kissailcc, 

 the latter given so caressingly that you waul to ])inch the little darling. The 

 Chestnutdjacked Chickadee has a rcallx' trul\' s<ing. liut it is anytlting rather 

 than musical. When the emotion of A])ri] is no longer controllable, the 

 minikin swain mounts a tir limb and raps out a series of notes as monotonous 

 as those of a Chipping Sparrow. The trial is shorter and tlie movements less 

 rapid, so that the half dozen notes of a uniform character ha\'e more individual 

 distinctness than, say, in the case of the Sparrow: Chick cliick chick chick 

 chick chick. Another performer may give each note a double character so 

 that the whole ma\' sound like the snipjiing of a barber's sliears : Chulip 

 chulip cliiilip chulip chulip. 



Mr. Bowles finds that in beginning a nesting ca\ity this bird almost 

 always avails itself of some natural advantage, as a place from which a bit 

 of wood has been torn awa)-, or a hole made by a grub of one of the larger 

 Cerambycid beetles. On this account the bird enjoys a wider range of 

 choice in nesting sites than africapilliis. Fir or oak stubs are oftenest chosen, 

 and moderate heights are the rule: but I have seen birds go in and out of a 

 nesting hole at an elevation of eighty feet. 



Every furred creattire of the woods may be asked to contriltute to the 

 furnishing of Chickadee's home. Upon a mattress of fur and hair the bird 

 lays from seven to nine eggs, white as to ground color, and sparingl}- dotted 

 with pale rufous. Chickadees are close sitters and must sometimes be taken 

 fi-oni the eggs. The\' have, mi>reover. a unique method of defense, for when 



