106 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



in 1850, in the tliick swampy woods which cover one of the small islands 

 near Grand jMenau. Their general ai>j)eaiance as they tlitted thiongh the 

 woods, or rustled restlessly among the tangled debris of decaying trees and 

 underbrusli with wliich the forest was choked, was not uidike that of our 

 common lUack-Cap. Yet there was an indescribable something both in their 

 cries and in their manners that at once suggested a ditt'erence of species. To 

 my ear their cries were sharper, clearer, and a trifle harslier. There was 

 none of that resonant jingle so full of charm in the Chickadee. Their notes, 

 too, M'ere more articulate, more like distinct words, and were brought out at 

 certain times with an emphasis the elTect of which was very striking, 

 beginning with tscltd-dee, the dee-dee-dee was reiterated Mith an idmost 

 incessant volubility. 



It seemed to bt». a more retiring bird, never frequenting the houses, but 

 keeping chjsely to thick and retired woods. Yet it is not a timid species, but 

 seemed entirely unmindful of our presence, or, when mindful of it, to resent 

 it as an impro[)riety, rather than to fear it as a danger. They apparently had 

 nests or young at the time of my visit, though I could not detect their local- 

 ity. One ])air became at last so annoyed at my prolonged presence as to 

 manifest their uneasiness by keeping within a few feet of my head, follow- 

 ing me wherever I went, and without ceasing from their close surveillance 

 until I finally left their grove and e .lerged into the open country. All the 

 time they brought out the cry of dee-dee with a clear, ringing emphasis that 

 was almost startling. 



A few days later, being at Halifax, Mr. Andrew Downes, the naturalist, 

 took me to the nest of these birds in a small grove in the vicinity of that 

 city. Tlie nest was in a small beech-tree, and had been cut through the liv- 

 ing wood. The excavation, which was not more than two feet from the 

 ground, was about ten inches in depth, was in a liorizontal position only 

 about two inches, where it turned al)rui)tly downward, and from a width of 

 an inch and a half assumed a width of three, and a depth of seven or eight 

 inches. This was warmly lined with feathere and soft fur. The nest con- 

 tained young birds. These particulars we only ascertained when we had 

 laid bare the excavation by a sharp liatchet. Thougli disai)pointed in our 

 search for eggs, yet we witnessed a very touching manifestation of devotion 

 on the part of the j>a rents, and of neighborly solicitude in various other in- 

 mates of the grove, which was at once most interesting and a scene long to 

 be remembered. 



With all tlie self-sacrificing devotion of the Black-Cap, these birds dis- 

 played a boldness and an aggressive intrepidity that at once commanded 

 our respect and admiration. I never witnessed anything quite equal to it.\ 

 They flew at our faces, assailed our arms as we wielded the invading hatchet, 

 and it was difficult not to do them even unintentional injury without aban- 

 doning our purpose. Before we could examine the nest they had entei-ed, 

 and had to be again and again removed. As soon as we were satisfied that 



