A WONDERFUL SONG 27 



peated and interrupted by the " pe-wee," 

 but all slurred together and given in tremolo 

 style utterly unlike any chickadee perform- 

 ance I had ever heard. It was most bewitch- 

 ing, and was kept up a long time. 



There is some reason to think this bird has 

 unsuspected musical abilities. A friend and 

 long-time bird-student had a chickadee who 

 flew into the house and insisted upon staying, 

 becoming perfectly tame and friendly with 

 the family. One day one of his kind outside 

 the window gave some calls which seemed 

 rather peculiar to the listeners within. Upon 

 hearing them, the bird inside, who was sitting 

 quietly upon a picture-frame, burst into a 

 really wonderful melody, such as the observer 

 had never dreamed a chickadee was capable 

 of. Though not loud, it seemed to fill the 

 room, and not till she watched and saw the 

 throat swell could she be convinced it was 

 the performance of her bird. 



Having at last settled myself in my usual 

 place, and while waiting for the next caller 

 to show himself, I had leisure to notice and 

 admire the peculiar character of the woods ; 

 for Nature has infinite resources at command, 



