■nil-: CHESTNUT-BACKED CHKl^ADEE. 



.'ili times of year. l)iit his staple diet is tViriiied by the ejjgs and larv;e of insects. 

 Tliese are fnund tucked away in wiMidy crannies, i>r else groii])ed on the imder 

 surface of smaller limhs and |)ersistent leaves, as of oak or mailrone. 



On this account the Chickadee must fre(|iiently hanjj liead downward; 

 and this he does very gracefully, using iiis tail to balance with, much as a 

 iKjy uses his legs in hanging from a "inrning pole." swinging to and fro as 

 Iho lie ihoroly enjoyed it. 



If possible, the Chestnut-hacked Chickadee is a little more delicately 

 moulded and more fay-like in demeanor than its gray-backetl cousin, the 

 Oregon Ciiickadee. Unlike the latter, it is found commonlv in the densest fir 

 woods. It is found, also, in tiie oak groves of the prairie country: and, in 

 general, it may he said to |)refer dry situations. \o hard and fast lines can 

 he ilrawn, however, in the distribution of the two species. In many sections 

 they mingle freely, and ;ire eipirdly alumdant. In others, either may be 

 quite unaccountably absent. 



.\s nearly as we have made out to date, the ciniinioner notes of the 

 Chest nut -hacked Chickadee closely simulate those of the Oregon. The s^crrlrc 

 call is either intlistinguishable or a mere shade smaller. The sneezing note 

 becomes more distinct as Avc/ii'ruriwVA" .• and "Chickadee" becomes kissadcc. 

 the latter given so caressingly that you want to |)inch the little <larling. The 

 Chest uul -backed Chickadee has a really truly song, but it is anything rather 

 than musical. When tiie emotion of .April is no longer controllable, the 

 minikin swain mounts a fir limb and raps out a scries of uittes as monotomius 

 as those of a Chipping Sparrow. Tiie trial is shorter and the movements less 

 rapid, so that the half ilozen notes of a uniform character have more individual 

 distinctness than. say. in the case of the Sparrow: Chick chick chick chick 

 chick chick, .\nother performer may give each note a double character so 

 that the whole may sound like the snipping of a barber's shears: Chulip 

 cliiilif' chitiip chulip chulip. 



Mr. Howies finds tliat in iieginning a nesting c.ivily this bird almost 

 always avails itself of some natural advantage, as a ]>lace from which a bit 

 of wood has been t<irii away, or a hole made by a grub of one of the larger 

 Ceranibycid beetles. On this accoimt the bird enjoys ;i wider range of 

 ciioice in nesting sites than alrictipilhis. Fir or oak stubs are oftenest chosen, 

 and moderate heights are the rule: but 1 h;ive seen birds go in and out of a 

 nesting hole at an elevation of eighty feet. 



Kvery furred creature of the woods niay Ix' asked t<i contribute to the 

 furnishing of Chickadee's home. Upon a mattress of fur ami hair the binl 

 lays from seven to nine eggs, while as to ground color, and sparingly dotted 

 with pale rufous. Ciiickadees are cli>se sitters and must sometimes be taken 

 from tiie eggs. They iiave. moreover, a uni<|ue metiiod of defense, for when 



