392 Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science. 



224. SiTTA CANADENSIS LiuiUL'llS. K1CU-I5KEASXEU NUTHATCH. (728) 



Spring aud fall visitant and probably rare summer resident. 



Varroll County: In August, 1878, tliree or four young just able to fly, 

 seen at a small pond on the home farm ; one was collected. May 3, 1883, 

 one seen and heard near same place: May 7, 1885. a pair collected near the 

 Leonard mill on Deer Creek, east of Camden. 



Vigo County: A female collected at Sand Hill, May 10. 1890. 



Monroe County: One collected on Thanksgiving Day. 1882. near Bloom- 

 ington. One got in Turner's grove, February 10, 1883. A pair or more 

 might have been seen in this grove at any time in the winter of 1882-3. 



225. B.^OLOPHus BicoLOK (Linuii'us). tufted titmouse. (731) 



A common permanent resident. Of all the birds that remain with us 

 during the cold, blustery days of winter, connecting that cheerless season 

 of ice and sleet and snow with sunuuer's sunshine and flowers, perhaps the 

 most common, as well as the best known, is the Tufted Titmouse. Everyone 

 knows this saucy, plain-colored little bird. He is not at all a gaudy bird, 

 but quite Quakerish in his plain suit of leaden gray. He is a hardy bird, 

 enduring, indeed, seeming to enjoy, the rigors of our severest winters with- 

 out any desire to plume his wing for that distant flight which takes from 

 us most of our musical summer birds when the autumn days come on. No ! 

 little cares he if the storms do come, the wind howl, the leaves fall, and the 

 temperature go to zero and below, for here he stays and seems really to 

 enjoy the cold. He may be seen on almost any day in the old apple trees 

 near the house, about the woodpile, or in the depths of the forest, flitting 

 about in that saucy, bravado-like way of his, gleaning from the crevices of 

 the bark and the freshly split wood his daily food, the while keeping up an 

 almost incessant whistling or scolding, should you intrude too closely upon 

 his hunting ground. He has an omnivorous taste, feeding upon almost any- 

 thing and everything, animal or vegetable, and thus is he able to procure 

 food of some kind or other at any season of the year. 



The mating season begins early in April. The nests are in deserted wood- 

 pecker holes or natural cavities in trees or old dead stubs in deep or open 

 woods, or in the apple or other trees about the house. The eggs are usually 

 five to eight in number and are pure white or sometimes light cream ground- 

 color, profusely speckled with reddish-brown. 



These birds will sometimes nest in boxes put up for the purpose and may 

 thus be brought and kept about the house during the ne.<ting season. 



Carroll County: 1877-1879, noted often. January 22, 1879, one collected. 

 Miss Evermann noted a few near Burlington January 5, 1907, and says they 

 can be seen almost any time of the year near her liouse ; October 28, two 

 heard ; December 16, one seen in porch and on grape arbor. January 1, 

 1908, noted in the woods ; 2d, one seen in lilac bush near house ; March 1, 

 two seen in garden ; they have been about the house all winter ; one flew 

 into the porch after some wahoo berries that were hanging on the wall. 



Vigo Comity: Permanent resident; seen often. April 19. 1888. a male 

 "collected; 30th, a male obtained near the fair grounds. April 24. 1890. a 

 female secured at Sand Hill. 



Monroe County: Quite as common and well known as in the other coun- 

 ties. 



