20 , .THE PINE GROSBEAK. 



no time is one so forcibly impressed with the beauty, as 

 also with the familiarity, of this gentle little creature as 

 when meeting it in the depth of the forest on a bleak win- 

 ter's day. Then the flock appear like bright and gracefully 

 moving ornaments on the dark evergreens or leafless spra)'. 

 Then this bird becomes the familiar companion of the soli- 

 tary woodman, and will even venture to light on his arm 

 and take from his hand the crumbs of his luncheon. 



The Chickadee belongs to the Titmouse or Paridce family, 

 and has many near relatives, such as the Mountain Chicka- 

 dee, Chestnut-back Chickadee, Long-tailed Chickadee, etc., 

 which resemble it very closely. Our species is a bird of the 

 Northeastern States, extending to Alaska, replaced from 

 Maryland and Illinois southward by the Carolina Titmouse, 

 which Mr. Maynard regards as simply a smaller variety of 

 the same species. About the size of our Black-cap, and in 

 all respects similiar in habit, is the Hudson's Bay Titmouse 

 (Parus hudsaniui). The jet black on the crown of the 

 former is replaced by an elegant brown; the pure white on 

 the cheeks by a grayish white; the back and sides are also 

 tinged with brown; otherwise, their similarity in marking is 

 close. Hudsonius is common to British North America, 

 breeding as far south as Maine. I found it very common 

 in Nova Scotia. Its strongly characterized note cheet-a-day- 

 day-day, cheet-a-day, uttered in a rather low key, may always 

 distinguish it. 



THE PINE GROSBEAK. 



As I go out through the front yard during the forenoon, I 

 almost run my head into a flock of Pine Grosbeaks {Pinicola 

 enuckator), feeding eagerly on the berries of a mountain ash. 

 The hoar-frost falls in a cloud as a dozen or more of them 

 shake the spray and the branches in taking their food. 

 About 8.50 in length, this species is very robust and plump, 



