THE WINTER FOOD OF THE CHICKADEE 
9 l 
No. i . .Eggs of aphids, .05 ; cocoon and larvae of codling moth ( ?), 
.15; spider eggs and egg sac, .28; undetermined insects, .11; unde- 
termined vegetable matter, .18; undetermined animal matter, .22; 
o 1 . 
No. 2. Five codling moth larvae (?) .67; cocoon 
„ of codling moth (?) .07; eggs of aphids, .12; small 
I beetle f Hoplocephala bicornis?) .01 ; eggs of insect. 
crrit 
01 ; eggs of spiders, .01 
.01 
spider, .02 ; buds, 
feathers, trace. 
.52 ; lepidopterous larvae. 
10; bud scales, .03; un- 
1 
m 
m 
undetermined material, .04; 
No. 3. Eggs of aphids, 
.28 ; two spiders and web, 
determined, .07. 
The next specimen was killed at 3 p. m. February 
1 8th while picking at a small twig of a birch tree. It 
had evidently been eating the eggs of the plant-lice 
that are so abundant beside the buds of the birch, as 
74 per cent, of the food consisted of aphid eggs, of 
which two sizes were present ; — the smaller were prob- 
ably those of the birch species. In addition there 
was a caterpillar, making 4 per cent. ; small cocoons 
apparently of hymenopterous insects, 2 per cent. ; bud 
scales, 9 per cent. ; undetermined insects, 2 per cent. ; 
and other material, 9 per cent. 
Another chickadee taken at the same time in a sim- 
ilar situation contained 52 per cent, of aphid eggs and 
various other materials. 
Two chickadees were taken at 4 p. m. February 
26th at Durham Point in a mixed growth of pines and 
p IG g Winter birches. One of these had eaten 454 eggs of aphides, 
cases of a small making 44 per cent, of the food, and an equal percent- 
caterpillar beside a g e °f material that seemed to be the dried castings 
apple buds. (They from the old nests of tent caterpillars. In addition 
show as light there were feathers, spiders’ eggs, canker worm eggs, 
spots.) and woody matter, each estimated at 1 per cent., as 
well as 8 per cent, of undetermined material. The 
other bird contained the following: A good-sized fly, 11 per cent.; 
nine spiders — one large, one medium, seven small — 24 per cent. ; two 
spider egg-sacs, 10 per cent. ; canker worm eggs, 2 per cent. ; 
a measuring worm ( Geometrida ), 22 percent. ; feathers, 1 per 
cent. ; and undetermined material, 30 per cent. 
Three chickadees were shot on March 4th at about 11 =30 
a. m. They belonged to a large flock which had been flying 
from tree to tree through the woods. The first had eaten 42 
per cent, of aphid eggs, 18 per cent, of buds and bud scales. Fi( , q 
9 per cent, spider and web, 2 per cent, of beetles, 6 percent. F]ca bect]e 
of sumach fruits, 2 per cent, of oval brown insect eggs, and nia< ^ nifiec j 
21 percent, was undetermined. The second specimen had (Faten bv 
eaten a large spider making 37 per cent, of the whole, and cbickadee > 
some spider’s web making 7 per cent, more; leaf-hoppers of 
the family Jassidce , 4 per cent. ; eggs of fall canker worm, 4 per cent. ; 
