12O INSECTS INJURIOUS TO FRUlt. 



attracted by their chick-a-dee melody. These are winter birds ; and though differing 

 from the sparrows in being insectivorous, in other respects they are so much alike as 

 to be fond of each other's company though it appeared to me that the sparrows 

 were more partial to the chick-a-dees than the chick-a-dees to the sparrows. 



March 28. In a ramble through the orchards to-day I saw but one of these 

 birds, and this one passed so rapidly from one tree to another, there was but little 

 opportunity of watching its habits or seeing what kind of food it was in pursuit of. 

 Its song has changed since last visit. Then it was chick-a-dee ; now it is chick-a- 

 dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, and sometimes dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee. 



April i. Shot one to-day, and, what is of great importance, found five of the 

 larva of the Apple Moth. One of these had been so recently taken, and was so little 

 mutilated, that it was easily identified. The heads of the other four appeared iden- 

 tical when examined with a pocket-glass ; but when subjected to the test of the micro- 

 scope, there was no possible room to doubt. The day has been dry and windy, fol- 

 lowing a warm wet day and night ; and it is in just such weather that the bark of the 

 Buttonwood, Shell-bark Hickory, and other shaggy trees, will be found curling out 

 and falling off. 



I have never seen anything that would lead me to believe that this minute bird 

 makes the holes in the scales of bark that lead directly to the cocoons of these cater- 

 pillars; they are made by the Downy Woodpecker, and probably by it alone. The 

 Chick-a-dee most likely finds these worms only or chiefly on such days as this, when 

 the warping of these scales exposes them to the prying eyes of these busy little 

 friends. This bird is one of the guardians of the orchard ; quick, active, always on 

 the alert ; assuming any position ; sometimes even hanging by one foot on the under 

 side of the large limbs, where these caterpillars rather prefer to conceal themselves ; 

 and now proved to feed freely upon the second in importance of the insect enemies 

 of our fruits. Let no one hereafter kill a Chick-a-dee without being made to feel 

 that he has done a most disgraceful deed. 



Nov. 6. Have been making a short trip to the central part of the State. See 

 no birds now except crows, doves, quails, sparrows, and the creepers, including the 

 Chick-a-dees. The last are very numerous almost in flocks. They are quite tame. 

 I have been much amused at a little party of them on the long, slender shoots of 

 some swamp-willow sprouts. One of them would alight on the extremity, and then 

 the twig would bend until the bird looked as if it were holding on to the end of a sus- 



