18 THE CHICK'ADEE. 



eyes can detect nothing of the kind; standing upright, 

 tipping forward, stretching upward, leaning to right and 

 left, or hanging by the feet ; so brimful of contentment, 

 so sweet-spirited and confiding, with so much of the sun- 

 shine of hope in their voices, that they are a most signifi- 

 cant reproof to querulous, unsatisfied human nature. 



Those above given are far from being the only notes of 

 the Black-capped Chickadee {Farus atricapillus), if they 

 have christened him. They seem to be especially his win- 

 ter song, whether he be in the door-yard, in the deep 

 forest, or in the crowded town; and the same vocal per- 

 formance can hardly be said to characterize him in summer, 

 though it is then occasionally heard. Throughout the year, 

 but especially in the breeding season, he has many quaint 

 little notes, sounding very much like subdued and familiar 

 conversation. Tse-de-yay, tse-de-yay; tsip, tsip; and a soft, 

 almost indescribable, peep, peep, are among his common 

 utterances in secluded parts of the deep forest. How 

 much of the happy, inner life of these little creatures may 

 be communicated in these soft, musical phrases ! But that 

 which pre-eminently constitutes the song of the Chickadee 

 is a soft, elfin whistle of two notes, heard occasionally even 

 in midwinter, but most commonly in the breeding season 

 — Whce-hee. The former syllable is in the rising and the 

 latter in the falling inflection; the whole being uttered in a 

 soft, plaintive, tremulous, melting tone, which almost re- 

 strains one's breath while listening. It is the voice of 

 pathethic tenderness, and makes one feel how much of 

 conscious life may vibrate in the breast of a tiny bird. 



Long years did I wait after becoming an ornithologist 

 before I could get a glimpse of the nest of the Chickadee. 

 On a beautiful, sunny 24th of May, in a thicket of Tona- 

 wanda Swamp, while I was studying the song of the Black- 



