Acadian Chickadee at Rhinebeck, N. Y. — On November 6, 1916, 1 ob- 

 served an Acadian Chickadee {Penthesles hudsonicus littoralis) for several 

 minutes feeding within seven feet of me among dead aster-tops. It was 



j I accompanied by several Black-capped Chickadees, but appeared tamer and 



I j entirely at ease. 



This is the first visit from the species since the winter of 1913-14, when 

 several were observed in Dutchess County. The earhest noted in 1913 

 appeared on November 27 and, so far as I know, this year's visitor estab- 

 lishes an early record for this latitude, barely ninety miles north of New 

 York City. — Maunsell S. Ceosby, Rhinebeck, N. Y. 



*4t^ xxx/v,^^M^. /9/7, y^. 9/, 



The Acadian Chickadee on Long Island.— On November 13, 1916, an 

 Acadian Chickadee {Penthesles hudsonicus UUoralis) was seen at Hewlett, 

 Long Island. I do not report the occurrence on my own personal observa- 

 tion but on that of my daughter, thirteen years of age, who did not know 

 the bird; nevertheless I make myself responsible for the record which, 

 as will be seen, is quite free from the possibility of error. It rests primarily 

 on the account of a competent observer who is alive to the moral necessity 

 of accuracy in bird matters arid apprehends perfectly the impassable differ- 

 ence between might he and is in the determination of a bird's identity. 

 ' The Acadian Chickadee was in the shrubbery bordering Willow Pond 

 in Hewlett Park associating, but not intimately, with Black-capped 

 Chickadees and Kinglets and finally descending alone to bathe at the shore 

 of the 'ike. Watching it the observer suddenly became mystified and 

 excite . it was not a Black-capped Chickadee! What then could it be? 

 The momentary impression was of a " Chiclcadee with something missing, 

 like a person lacking an arm or a leg." What was wanting was quickly 

 discovered to be the black cap, the top of the head being dull brown, 

 scarcely darker in shade than the brownish back, and at strong contrast 

 with the black throat; the wings were darker than those of the Black- 

 capped Chickadee, and the sides below the wings were dark chestnut 

 brown even deeper in color than the underparts of a Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

 All this, related to me, left nothing to be asked for in the way of description. 

 But there was further confirmation. The bird's notes were not at all those | 

 of the Black-capped Chickadee, and a description and imitation of them 

 were quite reahstic, enough to send my memory back to the first and only 

 Acadian Chickadee that I had ever met with. This was near Lake Terror 

 in the Adirondacks in company with Dr. C. Hart Merriam, October 31, 

 1882, when the very distinctive notes of the bird were what alone drew 

 attention to it. The specimen is still in my collection and was instantly 

 recognized by my daughter as being nearly identical with the bird she had 

 so carefully studied in life the same afternoon. 



The species has not before been reported from Long Island or the vicinity 

 of New York, nor from further south, I think, than Poughkeepsie oh the 

 Hudson (Bird-Lore, XVI: 448-449, Maunsell S. Crosby). 



It seems well to give early announcement of this occurrence that other 

 observers near New York may be put on watch. The early date of the 

 bird's appearance seems to hint that the species may be repeating the 

 southward migration that has excited so much attention in recent winters, 

 and that the movement is progressive and has this year reached a more , 

 southern point than at any time before. — EuaBNE P. Bicknell, New 

 York City. AxJv.XKXlV, , (9f7. ^. 9 / -fZ . I 



