Pams atricapillus . 
18G6. 
May 10. 
1867. 
funo 15, 
1868. 
May 23. 
1874 
Mar. 3 
1875. 
Hay 24. 
'■ov. 8. 
187 6, 
Mar. . 
“ 24. 
A^5r. 2G. 
May 23. 
MiddlosGX County, Mass. 
Nest Y/-ith 'iight eggs. 
Sav/ one Tollov/od by full grown young. 
Found a nost containing seven eggs that had been 
laid probstbly about a v/eok. 
A pair already excavating their nest in the stump 
of an apple troo. 
Nest six fresh eggs. 
Ab un da nt in a t or t ovm . 
Drawling out their plaintive to-derry on all sides 
this warm march inorning. 
Still in flocks. 
Stsinding in the woods in Lincoln my attention was 
attracted by a dull tapping almost at rny feet; the next 
moment a Chickadee flew from the top of a stump v/-ith its 
bill full ox roi/ton vxood vxhich vxas carried to some dis¬ 
tance before being dropped. Examining the nost more 
closely I found that the bark had started off from one 
side of the stump leaving a small space between it and 
the rotton v/ood. Entering at the top the birds had 
excavated horizontally for a little way, t.lion downward, 
the cavity alreadydescend wig deeper than I was able to' 
see. iho suump (an oak) was six inches in diameter 
and biiirty-six inches high. The '^hickadeo soon returned 
and^ vxent busily to vxork again paying no at ton ion to mo 
ilijixough £ stooci Yxithin a few yards of the 
spot. 
April 29. 
to tlio dim 
her feathers 
r t 
Visited tlie nos t fo'Uid in incolti on 
Pooping in my eyes soon became accustomed 
light vxhon I made out the sitting female , 
so luffled tixat it Y/as impossible to distinguish one p 
of her body ■:’rom another. The position of'the ho-d 
hov/evor, was distinctly marked by the glistening little 
black eyes that shone out conspicuously in the midst of 
yho bundle of feathers. No amount of thumping or pound- 
ingon the outside of the stump would persuade her to come 
out, but \7h0n I tore off the bark, laying bare the nost, 
she loft tho eggs and alighting near by began scolding 
angrily, -when her mate appeared, accoimpaniod by a comnan- 
lon of tue same species. One of them approached very 
close alighting within two feet of my head; but when v 
began to take the eggs the trio departed, and T did not 
see either of t.-^em again. 
