68 CHICKADEE 



repertoire. There are the sweet Chickadee call 

 which gives him his name, the soft sunny dcii/- 

 day-day he cons over to himself, the sweet sad 

 2^}ice-he whistle of sj^ring and summer, and the 

 pleasant conversational cJiiclc-a-day-ah-day-day- 

 day-day-day-day. Both Wren and Chickadee 

 are cheering, trustful little tots, eminently good 

 for the blues, evoking every bird-lover's gratitude 

 and affection. 



In the spring, when the feathered tourists are 

 coming back and the excitement of nest-building 

 is absorbing our attention, we do not think much 

 about the Chickadee excej^t to notice its clearly 

 whistled plioe-he occasionally coming from the 

 woods ; but some day we are given a thrill of 

 pleasure by the appearance of a pair of the fluffy 

 Black-caps leading around a family of young, 

 grown almost as big as themselves, quite unbe- 

 known to us. 



From that time on until the following spring we 

 can have the society of the friendly Chickadees if 

 we but offer them a little food when cold weather 

 comes, and their good cheer is so grateful that we 

 are glad to do anything to keep them about us. 

 A piece of suet nailed to a tree pleases them very 

 well, but they also like the fat of fresh pork ; and 

 it is a good idea to fasten bits of pork at inter- 

 vals along a clothes-line, for the cord is strong 

 enough to make a steady perch for the birds as 

 they peck at the meat. In northern New York a 



