50 Bird Comrades 



a little bird which, in addition to his cap of glossy black, 

 wears a bib of the same color, buckled up close to his 

 chin, with a wedge of white inserted on each side of his 

 neck between the black of his throat and crown to the 

 corner of his mouth. 



If all birds were as sociably disposed as the little tom- 

 tit for that is also one of his names bird study would 

 be a delight, and almost a sinecure. Trustful and -fear- 

 less, -he often comes within a few feet of you, and fixes 

 you with his keen little eyes, which dart out innumerable 

 interrogation points. Sometimes he calls his own name 

 in a saucy way, " Chick-a-dee-dee, chick-a-dee-dee," 

 which, being interpreted, means, " What is your business 

 here, sir? Aren't you out of your proper latitude?" 

 Occasionally he will grow terribly excited over your 

 presence or at least pretend, to scolding and shaming 

 you until you feel yourself a real interloper; at other times 

 he will salute you in the most affable way, as if bidding 

 you welcome to his haunts and inviting you to come often 

 and make yourself at home. What a pity it is he cannot 

 talk, and let us know what he really thinks of us and 

 of the world in general! Dr. Chapman says that on two 

 occasions chickadees have flown down and perched 

 on his hand, giving him the feeling that he was being 

 taken into their confidence. 



Watch Master Tomtit as he performs some of his 

 acrobatic feats, putting the tilters and tumblers in the 

 human circus to the blush. He often hangs back down- 

 ward from a slender twig or even a leaf, and daintily picks 



