Rural School Leaflet. 



103 1 



adee, the last syllable is at least one note lower than the first, is long 

 drawn out, and has a falling inflection; while the last syllable of the 

 phoebe bird's song is short and has a rising inflection. The chickadee 

 also has a cheerful little yodle, which it sings when it is very happy. 



The nest is built in a hole excavated in a decaying stump or post, 

 the pair working together industriously to make the excavation; some- 

 times a hole already made is 

 used. The nest is most often 

 made in birch stumps; the bot- 

 tom is lined with fine grass, feath- 

 ers, hair, or moss. The eggs, 

 from five to eight in number, 

 are white, speckled sparingly with 

 reddish brown. The nest is made 

 in May. 



The chickadees and the nut- 

 hatches may be induced to visit 

 our orchards and shade trees if 

 we put out strips of beef fat 

 about once a month during the 

 winter. These strips should be 

 tied upon the branches. The 

 birds seem to regard this as a 

 sign of friendship upon our part 

 and will remain for hours doing 

 their best to rid the trees nearby 

 of hidden enemies. If the suet 

 be placed upon branches which 

 may be seen from the windows 

 of the schoolroom, the pupils may 

 be able to observe these inter- 

 esting and useful birds every day, and become familiar with their 

 habits and economic value. 



Observations for pupils: 



1. Why does the chickadee remain North during the winter? Why 

 do the robin and the bluebird go South? 



2. Where do you see the chickadees in winter? What are they doing? 



3. What other birds are associated with the chickadees in winter? 

 What is there in the colors and markings of the chickadee by which 

 you can tell it instantly from the nuthatch and the downy woodpecker? 



Fig. 2. — Chickadee entering its nest 



