BIRDS OF KANSAS. 631 



cho," uttered in a clear, whistling, musical tone. Their ordi- 

 nary notes are various. Their flights are short, irregular, and 

 rather undulating. They are often met with in small flocks, but 

 do not move in harmony together, each acting independently of 

 the others, as if they came together by accident, rather than from 

 choice. 



The mated pairs are very attentive lovers and parents. The 

 males ever on the alert, fussing about, scolding, challenging and 

 driving rivals and intruders away; and while their mates are 

 building a nest, they do not aid, but proudly follow her back and 

 forth, singing their very best to cheer her, and in so doing be- 

 tray their nesting place, and make it an easy find. 



Their nests are placed in deserted Woodpecker holes, and nat- 

 ural cavities in trees. They are loosely constructed of leaves 

 and moss, and lined with a fine, soft, fibrous, cotton-like sub- 

 stance, and hairs from cattle. Eggs five to eight, .75x.54; 

 white to creamy white, sprinkled with rusty red, thickest and 

 somewhat running together around larger end, with here and 

 there a few lilac stains; in form, oval. 



SUBGENUS PARUS LINNAEUS. 



"Head not crested; body and head full; tail moderately long, and slightly 

 rounded; bill conical, not very stout; the upper and under outlines very gently 

 and slightly convex. Tarsus but little longer than middle toe; head and neck 

 generally black or brown, with sides white. Nest in holes; eggs white, sprinkled 

 with red." 



Parus atricapillus LINN. 



CHICKADEE. 

 PLATE XXXV. 



Resident; abundant in the eastern part of the State; common 

 to the middle portion; rare westward. Begin laying early in 

 April. 



B. 290. R. 41. C. 44. G. 17, 321. U. 735. 



HABITAT. Eastern North America; west to the edge of the 

 Great Plains; south into the northern borders of the Indian 

 Territory and southern Missouri, but, east of the Mississippi 

 River, rarely south of latitude 40. Resident throughout their 

 range. 



