52 lYESTS AND EGGS OF BIRDS. 



32. THE MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, 



PARUS ISIONTANU.S G umbel. 



White-browed Chickadee. 



This chickadee occurs throujj^lioiit the Rocky niojintains. 



The first recorded discovery of its nest was made hy Captain 

 Charles Bendire, on June 8, 1S76, on the summit of Canon City 

 moimtain. scnitheastern Oregon. The home of the liird was 

 a hole in an old pine stump, and at the bottom of the hole la\' 

 a single fresh ^-g^ on some llnely powdered wood, for there was 

 no nest. The egg- he described as clear white " moderatelv 

 spotted and blotched with pale reddish-brown, but not thickh." 

 vii/e .^S bv .49 of an inch. 



.Since tlien ]\lr. L. 15elding relates that he discoxered a nest 

 of t'.iis species, built at the bottom of a seam in a \er\' rotten 

 stump at ]Mar\ s\ille, Cal. ''The top of the seam was two 

 feet from the ground, the bottom about a foot below the en- 

 trance. The bird had slightly and irregularly enlarged the pas- 

 sage t ) tlic nest, wiiich was composed of fibrous roots lined 

 with wool gatliered from the bushes where sheep had grazed, 

 and c;)ntainc:l seven Vvdiite eggs. " Concerning the discovery 

 of this nest Mr. Ijelding \vrites : 



I visited the nest dailv lor some time, and finally found the female sit- 

 tin;^. As I neared \.\\i stump I was somewhat startled bv a loud liissing 

 noise, and looked in at the nest expecting" to find a snake, but diseo\-ered 

 only t!ie owner, w ho, witli uini;s outspread, mouth open, and eyes L;listen- 

 ing. liissed alm.'.vt continually. I desired to see the nest, and tried to driv^e 

 her fi-oin it b\- \iole!Ul\' sti-iking' the stump, but she was not to be dis- 

 lodged scj easih-, and I left her. hoping" to find her not at home next 

 morning. l'[ion n\\ next visit, the day after, she greeted me again 

 with hisses and other demonstrations of anger; and after watching her 

 several minutes, during which time she kept np her attitude of defiance, 

 I again left her mistress of the situation. The next morning she saluted 

 me as belbre. but being by this time determined to examine the nest I 

 inserted a stick, at which she advanced, pecking and hissing vigorously. 

 -She fought long and well, but might finally prevailed, and she slipped 

 out. as she could have done at any time, if so inclined, and flew to a 

 neighboring tree, from whicli she watched me with much interest and 

 indignation. She returned to her nest soon after I had left it. After 



