278 



THE OREGON CHICKADEE. 



si-mliles till- kii])-in-ii>iicli. or ll<'i,kinj(, cry of llie W'otirii (ioldcn-crowncd 

 Kinglet. Tlii" CliicUadccs cin|)loy this wlien in coni])a!iy witli Kinglets, or 

 while ranging thru the tree-tops when no other sound is audible in the 

 woods. Then there is a regular s(jueaking trill which is oftenest prelimi- 

 nary to the familiar </<•»■ dec licc dec dec ( s|)oken ) notes, hut which some- 

 times ap|)ears alone, as by suspension or change of intent. 



Of the whistled series the commonest are, lirst, a clearlv rendered 

 hiis:, " ' ■ i,f lower pitch and more trivial 



■ haracter; and. second the dco 

 ilco dco day series, already 

 recorded. There is a striking 

 lesemhlance between the whis- 

 iled and the sinikcn series. 

 The (/(»v day words correspond 

 lo the dco dco whistles, allho 

 they are oftenest preceded by 

 a fairy snee/e, which we have 

 conventionalized in "Chick"; 

 ,-iiid there is a spoken, or rather 

 lisped, kii.\~:cccc, which is very 

 I liarniing and delicate. A 

 -] token trill occurs infre- 

 i|uently. and otTers its analogy 

 to both whistle and s(|ucak. 



These may seem like fine- 

 spiui distinctions. They are 

 MfTered only to be forgotten: 

 hut the enjoyment of the next 

 (."hickailee troup you encounter 

 will be enhanced by an effort 

 to realize the striking variety 

 I'f the notes heard. 



Contrary to the wont of 

 most hole-nesting birds, the 

 Chickadee believes in warm 

 blankets. Into the chosen 

 cavity, whether natural or 

 artificial, the hinls lug im- 

 mense (|uantities of moss, wool, hair, or rabbits' fur, until the place is half 

 filled : and the silting bird, during the chilly days of late .Vjiril and early May, 

 is snug and warm. 



Ordinarily, a hole is dug by the birds in a rotten stub at a height of two 



.\ TK.IIT FIT. 



YOUNr. nlK«>K CIIICKADCK KM CUC 



