ACADIAN CHICKADEE 383 



Stead of black ca]) and by the rich chestnut-brown of the sides and 

 flanks; the black throat patch seems somewhat duller or less con- 

 spicuous. Its behavior and its voice are different, especially the latter, 

 which is easil}'- recognized. 



Enemies. — ^Chickadees have to be on the v/atch for all the mammals 

 and birds that prey on small birds, such as small hawks and squirrels, 

 but Lhtir eggs and young are usually safe from many nest robbers in 

 their snug retreats. Mrs. Pcttingill (1937) writes: "Once during the 

 day a red squirrel appeared in a near-by birch sapling. The Chickadees, 

 on discovering him, were beside themselves with fright. * * * Both 

 birds began to call noisily and to jump from one branch to anotlier, 

 keeping at a safe distance from the animal, but threatening him by 

 making fake darts in his direction. The fact that one of them feigned 

 injury came as a surprise. Perching at first upright on a branch, it 

 suddenly but slowly toppled over backward until it clung upside down 

 on the branch, wings fluttering helplessly. It did not drop to the 

 ground but let go and alighted near-by. This time, on another branch, 

 it seemed to fall over sidewise, nevertheless holding its legs stiff and not 

 letting go." 



In the nest examined by Mr. Eagg (1939) vv^ere found an adult 

 Protocalllphora, a blood-sucking Sy, and several pupae probably of this 

 species, as well as the larvae of some less harmful species of insects. 

 These fly maggots may be, at times, sufficiently numerous to kill not 

 only the very young birds but those nearly fully fledged. 



Fall. — Most of these northern chickadees remain on or near their 

 breeding grounds all winter, but on certain seasons, at very irregular 

 intervals, there has been a vvcll-marked southward migration into New 

 England and perliaps farther south. Two of the largest incursions were 

 in 1913 and 1916, of which Horace \V. Wright (1914 and 1917) has 

 written full accounts. In November 1904 he saw only four birds, but 

 in four different localities. But in tlie 1913 flight he had the records of 

 over 40 birds, seen by himself and others, in 15 dilferent tov.-ns or dis- 

 tinct localities. The 1916 flight Eeem.s to have been even heavier and 

 more widely extended, reachin-^ as far south as Staten Island, N. Y. 

 The birds began to appear in October and some remained almost 

 through January, the crest of the wave com.ing between November 9 

 and December 10. He referred the birds of the 1916 flight to the 

 supposed Labrador race, nigricans, whicli is now regarded as the first 

 winter plumage of the species ; as all the birds taken seemed to be of 

 this race, it suggests that these southward flights may be made up main- 

 ly of immature bird?. 



Some of these bird^ pvidentlv snent the winter of 1916 anil 1917 in 



