WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



the good work dropped in October by the summer 

 birds, and finding in his insidious enemies their 

 favorite food. The nuthatch is the leader of that ad- 

 mirable little company composed of the chickadee, 

 the crested titmouse, the downy woodpecker, and 

 sometimes of the red - bellied nuthatch and spirit- 

 uel creeper, which Wilson truthfully describes as 

 " proceeding regularly from tree to tree through 

 the woods like a corps of pioneers ; while, in a calm 

 day, the rattling of their bills, and the rapid mo- 

 tions of their bodies, thrown like so many tumblers 

 and rope-dancers into numberless positions, to- 

 gether with the peculiar chatter of each, are alto- 

 gether very amusing, conveying the idea of hungry 

 diligence, bustle, and activity/' 



Every one knows the black-capped titmouse 

 — our jolly little chickadee, and his jolly little 

 chant : 



" Chick-chickadeedee! Saucy note, 

 Out of sound heart and merry throat. 

 As if it said: ' Good-day, good sir! 

 Fine afternoon, old passenger! 

 Happy to meet you in these places. 

 Where January brings few faces/ " 



He is the hero of the woods ; there are courage and 

 good-nature enough in that compact little body, 



6i 



