52 Bird Comrades 



that a fair average is seven chickadees to the square mile. 

 If each bird should destroy fifty-five insects per day, 

 which is a very modest estimate, the seven birds would 

 consume three hundred and eighty-five every day, making 

 about 137,500 per year in each square mile. In this way 

 about eight billions of insects would be destroyed annually 

 in the state an economic fact whose importance cannot 

 be overestimated. 



The same investigator also thinks that it would be 

 wise for farmers and fruit-growers to encourage the 

 chickadees to make their homes in orchards, and this 

 could be done, he says, "by placing food for them till 

 they feel at home, by erecting suitable nesting sites, and 

 by careful protection " ; to which I would add, by leaving 

 a few old snags in the trees where the birds can find 

 natural nesting places. Besides the useful purpose the 

 birds would serve, what pleasant companions they would 

 be, piping, both summer and winter, their sweet minor 

 tunes! 



No one can deny that the tomtit is a companionable 

 little fellow. In addition to his vigorous call of " Chick-a- 

 dee-dee," he whistles, as has been said, a sweet minor 

 strain which may be represented by the syllables, "Phe-e- 

 be-e," repeated again and again. Often in midwinter, 

 when bland days come, and even in very cold weather, 

 too, sometimes, he will pipe his pensive air, which floats 

 through the woods like a song of chastened sadness. 



Not infrequently two tits will engage in what may be 

 called a "responsive exercise," swinging their two-part 



