TALKS WITH YOUNG OBSERVERS 295 



The young birds will launch out of their own 

 motion as soon as their wings will sustain thera, 

 and sometimes before. 



There is usually one of the brood a little 

 more forward than its mates, and this one is the 

 first to venture forth. In the case of the blue- 

 bird, chickadee, highhole, nuthatch, and others, 

 the young are usually a day or two in leaving 



the nest. 



The past season I was much interested in 

 seeing a brood of chickadees, reared on my 

 premises, venture upon their first flight. Their 

 heads had been seen at the door of their dwell- 

 ing — a cavity in the limb of a pear-tree — at 

 intervals for two or three days. 



Evidently they liked the looks of the great 

 outside world; and one evening, just before 

 sundown, one of them came forth. His first 

 flight was of several yards to a locust, where he 

 alighted upon an inner branch, and after some 

 chirping and calling proceeded to arrange his 

 plumage, and compose himself for the night. 



I watched him till it Avas nearly dark. He 

 did not appear at all afraid there alone in the 

 tree, but put his head under his wing and set- 

 tled down for the night as if it were just what 

 he had always been doing. There was a heavy 

 shower a few hours later, but in the morning 

 he was there upon his perch in good spirits. 



I happened to be passing in the morning 

 when another one came out. He hopped out 

 upon a limb, shook himself, and chirped and 

 called loudly. After some moments an idea 



