Chickadee

or Titmouse, a small bird of the nuthatch family. There are within the boundaries of the United States some seventeen species of titmice, with nearly as many races or subspecies, so that there is no portion of the country that does not have one or more forms. The western coast region is peculiarly rich in representatives of this family. The chickadee of literature, or the black-capped chickadee, is a trifle over five inches in length. The top or back of the head and the throat are shining black. Other parts are gray or whitish. It ranges from the mountains of North Carolina to the northern timber line of British America, retiring southward on the arrival of winter. It builds a tiny nest of moss and plants down in a hole in an old stump or tree, from the height of one's head up to fifteen feet. There are from five to eight white eggs, speckled at the larger end with cinnamon spots. Speaking of its identification, Chapman says, "When most birds were strangers to me, I remember thinking what a blessing it would be if every one spoke his name as plainly as does this animated bunch of black and white feathers. No need of a textbook to discover his name; with winning confidence he introduced himself, and probably for this reason he has always been my best friend among birds." The chickadee is a constant resident. Few see the little bird in summer, but later the wood chopper seldom fails to see this bunty little friend hunting his frozen dinner of insects' eggs and larvae in the fresh pile of brush and branches. His busy day, day, day, and cheery chickadee, chickadee, dee, dee, dee, are one of the delights of a sunny winter's day in the woods.

The examination of 289 stomachs of the chickadee shows that its food consists of 68 per cent of animal matter (insects), and 32 per cent of vegetable matter. The former is made up of small caterpillars, and moths and their eggs. Prominent among the latter are the eggs of the tent-caterpillar moths, both the orchard and forest species. As these are two of our most destructive insects, the good done by the chickadee in devouring their eggs needs no comment. During the winter months, the chickadee's food is made up of larvae, chrysalids, and eggs of moths, varied by a few seeds, but as spring brings out hordes of flying, crawling, and jumping insects, the bird varies its diet by taking also some of these. Flies and bugs (Diptera and Hemiptera) are the favorites until the weather becomes quite warm, when beetles and small wasps are also taken. Among the bugs may be mentioned the plant lice and their eggs which are eaten in winter. The beetles nearly all belong to the group of Rhyncophora, or snout beetles, more commonly known as weevils. These insects are mostly of small size, and nearly all of them are known as pests by the farmer or fruit raiser. Seventeen of them were found in one stomach. The plum curculio and the cotton boll weevil may be taken as fair samples. Grasshoppers do not at any time constitute an important element of the food of the chickadee as they are evidently too large for so small a bird; moreover they are for the most part terrestrial insects, while the bird is essentially arboreal. Small wasps and ants are eaten to some extent. Spiders constitute quite an important element of the food and are eaten at all times of the year. The birds evidently find them hibernating in winter as well as active in summer. The vegetable food of the chickadee consists largely of small seeds, except in summer when they are replaced by pulp of wild fruit. The wax from the seeds of poison ivy (Rhus radicans) is eaten during the winter months, but the seeds themselves are not taken. In this respect the chickadees differ from most other birds which swallow the seeds whole.--U. S. Department of Agriculture.