AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 31 



Thus, with little outlay of time or effort we have drawn about us our 

 feathered friends. Surely, any bird lover willing to make the experiment 

 could as easily attract to his door the little winter birds, which are only too 

 glad thus to supplement their often scanty winter larder. 



WHY I LIKE THE CHICKADEE 



When you were a child, if you happened to live in the country, you were 

 told that in order to catch the wild birds all that was necessary was to throw 

 a little salt on their tails. 



I well remember thinking what an easy thing that would be, so I found a 

 basket, filled it with salt and quietly sneaked off back of the barn, up the 

 old lane to the back pasture. About night fall I came back cross and dis- 

 gusted, but a wiser child. 



In those boyish days I wanted birds for pets. I did not care to kill, only 

 to handle and to confine. How much greater is the pleasure, when the birds 

 come to you of their own accord ! 



It was a cold winter's day and the snow was deep, yet I had taken a long 

 walk across the fields and through the woods, reading the stories so plainly 

 printed there. I entered a hemlock thicket in the midst of which was a small 

 clear spot. Among the hemlocks the chickadees were busily engaged. I 

 stopped as is my wont to watch the cheerful little fellows. I extended my 

 hand and stood motionless ; at first they did not notice me, then one or two 

 of them flew toward me and quickly returned to the hemlocks. Finally one 

 more bold than his companions actually alighted on my hand, eyed me cu- 

 riously and went briskly about his work, evidently concluding that my hand 

 contained nothing for him. 



Ever since that day the Chickadee has been my favorite. He has trusted 

 me, and from that time my love for the little chap has been more than ever 

 before. 



Nelson A. Jackson. 



Keuka Park, N. Y. 



THE MOCKING-BIRD, 



This is a beautiful day in my locality and the birds have been singing all 

 the morning. Among the species of the Thrush family that live and rear 

 their young in my neighborhood is the Mocking-bird. I feel that I must 

 write and tell the readers of this magazine about a pair of these birds that 

 have been carolling in the orchard and garden this sunny day. The peach 



