ACADIAN CHICKADEE 379 



on the nest, where it had spent the night, when its mate arrived with food. The 

 brooding bird left the nest and permitted its mate to enter and feed. They left 

 the vicinity of the nest together. Before 6 a.m. they fed their young 34 times. 

 During the day the average feedings were 24 times per hour. The last feeding 

 took place at 7:40 p.m. when the bird, returning with food, entered and remained 

 in the nest to brood. 



Plumages. — I have seen no very young nestlings of this species, but 

 Mrs. Pettingill (1937) says that the young, Vv^hen "approximately three 

 days of age," were naked except for a few wisps of down on their 

 developing tracts, and tliat their eyes were only partially opened. 



The Juvenal body plumage is acquired before the young leave the nest, 

 but the wings and tail are not fully grov^-n until later. The color pattern 

 is much like that of the adult, but the colors are duller and paler, and 

 the plumage is softer and less compact. Dr. Dwight (1900) de- 

 scribes it as "above, brownish mouse-gray, the pileum pinkish drab- 

 gray. Wings and tail dull slate-gray v;hitish edged, the coverts edged 

 with pale wood-brov/n. Below, including suborbital region and auric- 

 ulars dingy white and washed on the sides and crissum with pale 

 cinnamon, the chin and throat dull black." 



He says that the first winter plumage is "acquired by a partial post- 

 juvenal moult, beginning early in August in eastern Canada, which 

 involves the body plumage and wing coverts, but not the rest of the 

 wings nor the tail, young and old becoming practically indistinguishable." 

 In the first winter plumage the pileum is "darker and the back browner, 

 contrasting but slightly with the cap ; the flanks, sides and crissum 

 rich Mars-brown ; the black on the throat deeper and the white of the 

 sides of the head and lower parts clearer." 



Adults have a complete postnuptial molt in July and August, replacing 

 the decidedly worn, ragged, and somewhat faded plumage of the breed- 

 ing season with the fresh and more richly colored autunm plumage. 



Food. — These and other chickadees are among the best conservators 

 of the forest trees that we have. They are very active at all seasons, 

 inspecting the trunks, branches, and tv/igs of the trees in searc.h of the 

 minute insects that are so injurious and are too small to be noticed by the 

 woodpeckers and other large birds ; nothing escapes the chickadees' keen 

 little eyes. The food of all the species is very similar in character, vary- 

 ing only with the latitude of the habitat of each and the kind of trees 

 it frequents. The Acadian chickadee is essentially a bird of the northern 

 coniferous forests and is especially useful in protecting the spruces, 

 firs, and pines in these v/oods. All summer it may be seen carefully in- 

 specting the branches of these trees even to the outermost twigs, often 

 hanging head-downward to search among the bases of the needles, look- 



