184 BIRDS OF THE WORLD 



time. The capacity of this nursery is as wonderful as 

 its structure, since as many as sixteen youngsters have 

 been found together inside, though usually the number 

 ranges from seven to ten. See Plate 14, Fig. 78. 



The Chickadee is a very common little bird of this 

 family in eastern North America, easily distinguish- 

 able by its glossy black cap and throat, white at side of 

 head and neck, white outer webs of wing-feathers, and 

 huffy sides. It nests in holes in stumps and old trees, 

 lining the cavities with feathers, grasses, and so on. 



This attractive little bird is not at all shy, and is 

 often seen about houses in the winter months. Feed- 

 ing chiefly upon insects in summer, in cold weather it 

 will eat seeds, nuts and a variety of other food, when 

 obtainable, showing much adaptability. Another 

 common name for the Chickadee is Black-capped 

 Titmouse. 



The Tufted Titmouse is a resident of the eastern 

 part, of the United States, where it is widely dis- 

 tributed. The upper parts are, in general, a grey 

 colour, the under parts white^ with a reddish tinge on 

 the sides. The forehead is black, and the crest is well 

 marked. Its notes are louder and not so pleasing as 

 those of the Chickadee, and they are uttered almost 

 continuously. 



Nuthatches 



These birds are near relatives of the Titmice, and 

 four out of the twenty known species are found in 

 North America. As a rule, the Nuthatches are in- 

 conspicuous in colour, black, white, and grey pre- 

 vailing. They resemble the Woodpeckers, and like 



