168 



WILD ANIMALS OF GLACIER NATIONAL I'AEK. 



At Iceberg Lake, while a part}^ of us were lunching among the 

 dwarf balsams, a family of the nutcrackers came into the trees on the 

 edge of our circle. When we Avere discovered the weak- voiced though 

 grown 3'oung were apparently taken off by themselves, after which 

 the old ones returned with the air of being accustomed to sharing 

 meals with their visitors. One of them, encouraged by his reception, 

 flew down and picked up half a slice of bread, returning to his tree 

 with it. As he started to lay it down on a branch, one of the ladies 

 cried out in consternation, " He's going to drop it ! " 



" Not much, he wouldn't drop it for a farm," one of the men 

 assured her, following with a dissertation on the thrifty bird's 



\ Clark nutcracker in loo nni<h of a hurry. 



storing habits. All eyes were fixed on the big black and white form 

 of the visitor, and when at last he carefully laid the slice of bread on 

 the green shelf the troubled lady cried out with relief, " Now he's got 

 it stored ! " 



A few moments later — our attention having been diverted — we 

 looked back just in time to see a nutcracker come in, pick up the 

 bread, and fly off with it. 



" She swiped his bread ! " one of the men exclaimed. But was it 

 the suspected spouse, or had her lord, thinking of a safer place for 

 his treasure, slipped back quietly to remove it ? Let us give the lady 

 the benefit of the doubt. Among other dainty morsels accepted by 



