94 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



white, and grey, that perched here and there on 

 the twigs until he came to his mate. They were 

 as alike as two peas in a pod, yet from their actions 

 one could tell, without question, which was which. 

 The one demanded instant waiting on and 

 attention ; that was Mrs. Chicadee. The other 

 attended to her every want, and this was Mr. 

 Chicadee. They had evidently been mated for but a 

 short time, for as yet no nest had been built, but 

 then the year was young and there was ample time, 

 so why hurry ? Already other birds had young, 

 some were even building their second nest, but were 

 they any better off for all that hurry ? Some had 

 had their nests destroyed by the frequent rains, and 

 the chicadees, perhaps, wondered why these birds 

 persisted in building their nests on the ground when 

 the woods were full of trees in which holes of almost 

 any size might be found ; and was not a hole in a 

 tree a much safer and more comfortable place for a 

 home than a nest on the ground, no matter how 

 well it might be built ? So thought the chicadees 

 as they busied themselves hunting among the 

 many partly decayed birch trees, searching for a 

 suitable hole. At last one was found that appeared 

 to answer all the requirements of our house- 

 hunting couple. Perhaps it had not " all modern 

 improvements," but what care birds for such things ? 

 Enough that the entrance was of the proper size 

 (about two and a half inches in diameter) and inside, 

 with a very little excavating, there would be room 

 for the expected family of seven. The hole was 

 rather deep, running down from the entrance 

 nearly eighteen inches, but by the time the nest 



