630 HISTORY OF THE 



Sp. Chab. "Above, ashy; a black froutal baud. Beueath, dull whitish; 

 sides brownish chestnut, of more or less intensity. Feathers of the crown 

 elongated into a flattened crest, which extends back as far as the occiput. Bill 

 conical; lower edge of upper mandible nearly straight at the base. Fourth and 

 fifth quills equal; third a little shorter than seventh; second rather shorter than 

 the secondaries. Tail nearly even, the outer about .20 of an inch shorter than 

 the longest. Upper parts ash color, with a tinge of olivaceous. Forehead dark 

 sooty brown. The feathers of the upper part of the head and crest obscurely 

 streaked with lighter brown. Under parts of head and body, sides of head, 

 including auriculars, and a narrow space above the eye, dirty, yellowish white, 

 tinged with brown; purest on the side of the head, the white very distinct in 

 the loral region, and including the tuft of bristly feathers over the nostrils, ex- 

 cepting the tips of those in contact with the bill, which are blackish. The side* 

 of the body and the under tail coverts are tinged with yellowish brown. The 

 quills and tail feathers are edged with the color of the back, without any whit- 

 ish." 



stretch of 



Iris dark brown; bill black; legs, feet and claws lead color. 



The natural haunts of these restless, noisj birds are within 

 the woodlands; but tliey often, especially during the fall and 

 winter months, frequent the orchard and shade trees about our 

 dwellings. A pert, bold bird, that never skulks and hides, but, 

 in a scolding, saucy manner, with crest proudly erected, hops 

 about among the branches of the trees, assuming various easy 

 and comic positions, often swaying from the tips of the slender 

 twigs, in its search for food. When an insect too large to- 

 swallow or a nut is found, they hammer away at the same until 

 in condition to eat, and then, Hawk-like, retain their position on 

 the perch with one foot, and grasp the food in the other, and 

 daintily pick off bits from between the toes. 



The birds are easily tamed, and, unlike the Nuthatches and 

 Chickadees, soon become reconciled to confinement, unless cap- 

 tured at the time their hearts are set on mating. I have had 

 them take food and drops of water from my fingers the third 

 day after capture. 



The males commence singing often early in February, and 

 sing loudly and defiantly duilng the early part of the breeding 

 season. Their song is but a repetition of syllables, that sound 

 much like "Clie'o, che'o, che'o," and at times, "Cho, clio, cho,. 



