66 



Handbook of Nature-Study 



THE CHICKADEE 



Teacher's Story 



"He is the hero of the woods; there are courage and good nature enough in that com- 

 pact little body, which you, may hide in your fist, to supply a whole groveful of May 

 songster s.^He has the Spartan virtue of an eagle, the cheerfulness of a thrush, the 

 nimbleness of Cock Sparrow, the endurance of the sea-birds condensed into his tiny 

 frame, and there have been added a pertness and ingenuity all his own. His curiosity 

 is immense, and his audacity equal to it; I have even had one alight upon the barrel of 



the gun over my shoulders as I sat quietly under his tree." 



ERNEST INGERSOLL. 



OWEVER careless we may be of our bird friends 

 when we are in the midst of the luxurious life of 

 summer, even the most careless among us give 

 pleased attention to the birds that bravely endure 

 with us the rigors of winter. And when this 

 winged companion of winter proves to be the most 

 fascinating little ball of feathers ever created, constantly overflowing 

 with cheerful song, our pleased attention changes to active delight. 

 Thus it is, that in all the lands of snowy winters the chickadee is a loved 

 comrade of the country wayfarer; that happy song "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" 

 finds its way to the dullest consciousness and the most callous heart. 



The chickadees appear in 

 small flocks in the winter and 

 often in company with the nut- 

 hatches. The chickadees work 

 on the twigs and ends of bran- 

 ches, while the nuthatches 

 usually mine the bark of the 

 trunk and larger branches, the 

 former hunting insect eggs and 

 the latter, insects tucked away 

 in winter quarters. When the 

 chickadee is prospecting for eggs, 

 it looks the twig over, first above 

 and then hangs head down and 

 inspects it from below; it is a 

 thorough worker and doesn't 

 intend to overlook anything 

 whatever; and however busily it 

 is hunting, it always finds time 

 for singing; whether on the wing 

 or perched upon a twig or hang- 

 ing from it like an acrobat, 

 head down, it sends forth its 

 happy "chickadeedee" to assure 

 us that this world is all right and 

 good enough for anybody. Be- 

 sides this song, it begins in 



February to sing a most seduc- 

 tive "fee-bee," giving a rising 



Chick-a-dee-dee-dee 



