Brown oi Birds observed at Coosada, Alahama. 171 



13. Sitta carolinensis, (Gm.) Lath. White-bellied Nuthatch. 

 — Katlier uncoiiiinou cliuirig the winter, and occasionally seen or heard 

 up to the time of my departure. They exhibited a preference for the pine 

 woods. The peculiar song of the male I first heard about the middle of 

 March. 



14. Sitta pusilla, Lath. Browx-headed Nuthatch, — An abun- 

 dant resident. In the winter, when they were particularly numerous, they 

 associated in bands of from si.x to twenty individuals, and were found 

 everywhere, — in the tops of the tallest forest trees and amongst the 

 scattered pine saplings which have sprung up in once cultivated fields. 

 They were always full of life and activity, not only destroying their in- 

 sect prey with great industry, but frequently chasing each other about in 

 pure excess of vitality. I do not think I ever saw one employed in silence 

 for a minute at a time. While busily in search of food they have a sub- 

 dued, conversational chatter which almost exactly resembles the notes 

 usually uttered by the Goldfinch when similarly employed. Rather curi- 

 ously, the two species have another call in common : the most frequent 

 cry of the Nutliatch is remarkably like the Goldfinch's meditative heyr- 

 beh, — indeed, I have sometimes mistaken one for the other. Both sexes 

 of the present bird have several other call-notes, all of which are char- 

 acterized by a certain reedy harshness rendering them quite unlike the 

 usual utterances of the two Northern species of the genus. 



About the beginning of March the birds began to separate into pairs, and 

 by the middle of that month had generally selected their nesting sites and 

 commenced the work of excavating. Rotten pine stubs afforded the favor- 

 ite situations, and nine tenths of the nests I found were within six feet 

 of the ground. I opened nests at intervals up to the time of my depart- 

 ure, and found them occupied by one, sometimes by both of the owners, 

 but met with no eggs until April 22 ; these (four in number) were placed 

 in a natural cavity in a telegraph-pole. Another nest examined on the 

 same day was not quite ready for the eggs. 



15. Certhia familiaris, L. Brown Creeper. — Rather common dur- 

 ing the winter, associating with other small birds of similar habits. They 

 were most numerous about the third week in March, and at this time 

 sometimes went in flocks by themselves, occasionally as many as a dozen 

 together. On the advent of warm weather, in April, they gradually dis- 

 appeared. 



16. Thryothorus ludoviciantis, (Lath.) Bp. Great Carolina 

 Wren. — Common resident, inhabiting only the tangled growth of swamps 

 and water-courses. Generally found in small flocks during the winter. 

 They were mated by the last of February, but, apparently, were not 

 engaged in nest-building until at least a month later. The males sang 

 through the winter, but not so frequentl)' as after mating. 



17. Thryothorus bewicki, (And.) Bp. Bewick's Wren. — Only 

 two specimens taken : one by myself, February 7, amongst the debris of 



