OF NEW ENGLAND. 61 



as hanging by the claws, or clinging to cones with the head 

 downwards. They are so merry, genial, and sociable, that 

 their society is sought for, as it were, by other birds, such as 

 creepers, nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers and " kinglets," 

 whose habits are much like their own, and who frequently join 

 them in their pleasant rambles and active scrambles. They 

 roam wherever there are trees, be they near houses, or in the 

 depths of the forests, in valleys or on hill-sides ; 14 but ever- 

 greens, particularly pines, and white birches, are their favorites. 

 They never take other than short flights, and often, as Wilson 

 says, " traverse the woods in regular progression from tree to 

 tree," in this manner traveling several miles every day. They 

 are very unsuspicious, and allow one to approach closely, so 

 that by remaining motionless I have often induced them to 

 surround my person. Mr. Samuels mentions an instance of 

 one perching on the toe of his boot as he sat in the woods ; 

 and a young man of Northern New Hampshire once told me 

 that they were so tame in cold weather as to feed from his 

 hand, but his friends were possibly young and inexperienced 

 birds, or at least were probably those who had passed the 

 summer in some country uninhabited by man. 



In regard to the manner in which the hardy little Titmice 

 pass the night, I have some interesting information to offer 

 for the perusal of my readers and I shall here quote from my 

 ornithological diary. "February 10th. This afternoon, just 

 before sunset, I noticed two Chickadees, feeding on the ground, 

 and pecking at a bone, to which a remnant of meat was at- 

 tached. After saving one of them from a cat, who was steal- 

 ing towards and was about to catch them, I remained there 

 fifteen minutes. They scarcely left the ground during that 

 time, except to take a low perch, until half-past five, when 

 one flew away over the house-top and disappeared. The other 

 continued to hop about on the ground ; and then, without any 

 intimation of his purpose, abruptly flew to the piazza, whither 

 I followed him. He took possession of a Pewee's nest, which 



" Among the White Mountains to an elevation of 4,000 feet ( ?) 



