CAROLINA CHICKADEE. 223 



ago the Black-capped Titmouse was as abundant in Central Ohio as the 

 Tufted. Since that time it has become quite rare, and a winter visitor 

 only in the vicinity of Columbus. In some seasons none are seen. I 

 have seen but two or three individuals in the city limits within ten years. 

 Their note is the familiar chick a-deedee, common to all members of the 

 family with us, but is less emphatic than that of the Tufted Tit. They 

 are almost omnivorous in winter, eating the refuse from kitchens 

 as readily as the sparrows. Their ordinary food consists of the insects 

 which hide in the crevices of bark, spiders, and tender buds of trees. 

 They seem to take particular delight in being present at "hog killing 

 time," when they are as busy as any, and sieze upon many a titbit, seem- 

 ingly unconcious of the presence of man. 



The nest is built in a dead tree or stump, usually near the ground. 

 The hole is excavated by the bird. The eggs are whitd, sprinkled with 

 reddish brown. They average .58 by .47. 



Pakds ateicapillus L. 

 vae. cakolinensis (add.), cs. 



Carolina Oliiclxadee. 



Parus atrieapillus var. caroUnenais, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agrio. Eep. for 

 1874, 562; Eeprint, 1875, 2.— Langdon, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 4; Jonrn. Cin. Soo. 

 Nat. Hist., i, 1878, 111 ; Reprint, 2. 



Parua oarolinenaia, Langdon, Revised List, Jonrn. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 170 ; Ee- 

 print, 4. 



Parus mroKnensii, Audubon, Om. Biog., ii, 1834, 474. 



Averaging smaller than P. atrioapillua ; wings and tail less edged with whitish. Abont 

 ii long ; wing less than 2i ; tail 2.40. 



Habitat, South Atlantic and Gulf region of the United States, north to Washington, 

 D. C. Texas and the Mississippi Valley ; north to Central Illinois. 



Not common summer resident Breeds. Arrives about the middle 

 of April, apparently,departs for the south soon after the breeding season. 

 Resident all the year in Southwestern Ohio. The Carolina or Southern 

 Titmouse is doubtfully a variety of the Black-cap Tit, although the 

 resemblance is so great, that a casual observer would fail to notice a 

 decided difference. In "North American Birds" it is considered a variety 

 of P. meridionahs, a species of Eastern Mexico. 



It differs materially in its habits from the Black-cap Tit, although it 

 has the same note, it is lower and suppressed in tone, and less frequently 

 repeated. In the spring they appear in pairs only, and do not associate 

 with their fellows, or with other birds to any considerable extent while 

 with us. In selecting a site for a nest, they seem to prefer a willowy 

 swamp or the border of a stream, sometimes high ground in the vicinity 

 of water, and, more rarely, a solitary woodland. Though unsuspicious, 



