JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [3 



to take the largest and most juicy bits of suet for himself, and were 

 content with tiny crumbs in any out-of-the-way corner of the tree. 

 This did not satisfy the Nuthatch. He simply refused to allow them 

 a crumb. The Chickadees showed their optimistic spirit by viewing 

 tin.- whole matter as a joke, announced their arrival in a noisy 

 chorus, then fled precipitately before the tiny tyrant, smaller than 

 themselves. (The long, strong beak of the Nuthatch must have 

 had an awe-inspiring effect.) In time association with the Chick- 

 adees improved the manners of the Nuthatch somewhat. He al- 

 lowed them to feed, providing he did not want to partake of thstt 

 special suet lump. Still, even a Chickadee pursued a Chickadee 

 that had succeeded in filling his beak with a noticeably tempting 

 mouthful of suet and quite often drove a Chickadee away from a 

 desirable feeding place. 



By March 12th the Nuthatch had selected a mate considerably 

 smaller than himself. They came to the suet tree together after 

 this, and were as belligerent as the first Nuthatch had been in the 

 beginning. The Nuthatches lingered around until May 17th, but 

 the Chickadees continued to come in smaller numbers while the suet 



lasted. 



II. 



Greedy Chickadeks. 



Sometimes a large lump of suet became loosened and fell to the 

 ground. If the Chickadees were around when I went to tie this 

 suet to the tree, they scolded me severely. 



One day I sent two children to perform the task. The Chick- 

 adees perched within two feet of their heads and did not cease 

 Chickadeeing until the little people had completed their work. 



Another day a large dog stood under the tree and sniffed at the 



suet. Even it did not escape a severe reprimand from the greedy 



little birds. 



III. 



The Shrike and the Chickadee. 



One cold morning I was puzzled by the conduct of a Chickadee 



that clung, back down, to the bottom of a large piece of suet. He 



