22 THE SECOND BOOK OF BIRDS 
Chickadees, or Titmice, as they are named in 
the books, belong to another branch of this Fam- 
ily. There are a good many titmice in the world, 
seventy-five kinds or species, but we in America 
have only thirteen. Best known in the Eastern 
and Middle States is the common chickadee. In 
California, the mountain chickadee has habits 
about the same, and the Southern States have 
the tufted titmouse. 
All these little fellows are pretty birds in gray, 
set off with black and white, with lovely soft and 
fluffy plumage. 
The common CHICKADEE and his brother of 
the West have black on top of the head and 
on the throat, and white at the side of the head. 
They nest in holes in a tree or stump. If they 
can find the old home of a woodpecker, they are 
glad to get it, but if they cannot find one, they 
are able to cut one out for themselves, though it 
is a hard, long job for them. 
These birds have very large families, sometimes 
as many as eight or nine little chickadees in one 
of those dark nurseries. How so many can live 
there it is hard to see. They must be all ina 
heap. 
Everybody knows the common call of the 
chickadee, — “ chick-a-dee-dee ;”’ but he has a 
