WABBLES 



thought Wabbles would nfake short work of 

 the helpless bird, but instead he hopped 

 around him and talked to him in a low tone. 

 There was no threat in his notes such as he 

 uttered when angry. Up to the time that 

 Wabbles left in migration the chickadee was 

 allowed the freedom of the cabin dooryard. 



When Wabbles's first wife was alive, he re- 

 turned one spring the tenth day of March, 

 and brought with him a male linnet. I was 

 surprised, for it was peculiar that a linnet 

 should return in migration three weeks before 

 the usual time. A week later Mrs. Wabbles 

 returned, and with her was the mate to th* 

 linnet. This incident opened up a wide field 

 for reflection. It proved that two species of 

 the bird family could communicate ideas to 

 each other. 



These birds must have met in the South. 

 In the course of bird gossip either the linnets 

 or sparrows had announced that the summer 

 home was on Cape Ann. " That is where we 

 live," is the glad reply, so the birds, having 

 come from the same locality, associate to- 

 65 



