A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



from a dead tree will give the best coals in 

 the shortest time. 



By the middle of December I had moved 

 into my log cabin. I put in a second-hand 

 range, which proved to be an excellent baker 

 and warmed the cabin in the coldest weather. 

 The remainder of the winter " I was as snug 

 as a bug in a rug," to use an old familiar 

 adage. 



Before the winter months had passed, chick- 

 adees, black snowbirds, and tree-sparrows 

 found their way into the cabin dooryard. 

 I fed lard to the chickadees on a chip, and the 

 birds would eat this clear fat, at short inter- 

 vals, all day, and come around the next morn- 

 ing none the worse for the strange diet. Cer- 

 tainly such food would kill any other bird. 

 The snow-birds and sparrows were fed on 

 different kinds of bird-seed. When I mention 

 sparrows I do not refer to the English spar- 

 row. I am pleased to state that this unde- 

 sirable alien does not come to my dooryard. 

 The tree-sparrow is a native bird, and here 

 on the Cape, is seen only in winter. It comes 

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