2-6 



THE OREGON' CHICKADrtl;. 



Im^'- 



Cliickadcc ri-l'iisi-s l<> look ilowii fur loiij,' iiim.ii the world; or, iinliTcl, to 

 look at any oik- thing fnuii any oik- diri-ciion for more than two consccutivc 

 twt-lftiis of a second. "Any old side nj) wiliiont care." is tiie laln-l he hears: 

 and so with anything lie meets, lie it a pine com-, an ahier catkin, or a It 

 bearing hranchlet. top- 

 side, hottomside, inside, 

 outside, all is riglit side 

 to the nimhle t'hicka- 

 dee. Faith! tiieir little 

 brains must have spe- 

 cial guy - ropes a n d 

 stays, else they would 

 have been spilled long 

 ago, the way their own- 

 ers frisk about. Blind- 

 man's bnlT. hide-and- 

 seek, and tag are merry 

 games enough when 

 playetl out on one 

 plane, but when staged 

 in three dimensions, 

 with a labyrinth of in- 

 terlacing branches for 

 hazard, only the l)lithe 

 bird whose praises we 

 sing could possibly 

 master their intricacies. 

 But Chickadee is as 

 confiding and as con- 

 fidence-inviting as he is 

 capable. Tt is preciselv 

 because you babble all 

 your secrets to him at 

 the first breath that the 

 whole wood-side comes 

 to him for news. W'itii 

 the fatuity of utter 

 trust he will interrogate 

 the fiercest -looking stranger: and the sound of the "jTirr/cv"" call is the signal 

 for all binls to \k alert. .\t tiie repetition of it the leaves begin to rustle, the 

 moss to sigh, and the log-heaps to give up their hidden store of sleepy Wrens, 

 lia-hful Sparrows, ami frowning Towhees. juncoes simiter aiul Kinglets 



Taltcn 

 near Ttico*^ 



Photo I'.i 

 tht Author. 



.N'KST .\ND ECns OP ORKi.ON CHICKADEE. 

 ■ONI WALL or Tiii: co^T«lKl^c sTuur ii*$ iikx hem 



