108 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



her, and brought an insect suited to the needs of a 

 fledgeling. Dee-dee approached him, fluttering 

 her partly closed wings just as the fledgelings did 

 when they wanted food.* She was evidently 

 begging the food from him, and he, being of an 

 unselfish turn of mind, gave it to her with a flutter 

 and a soft note which seemed to say, "It is yours, 

 do what you wish with it," and he followed her 

 almost to my hand, as she came flying in response 

 to the calls of the handful of fledgelings. Seeing 

 her approach, each one struggled to be nearest to 

 the promised morsel. Just before she perched on 

 my hand, I pressed the bulb with the result shown 

 in illustration. Having delivered herself of the food 

 to the great satisfaction of only one of the young- 

 sters, she stood still a moment and looked up at 

 me with a quizzical expression, and then flew off. 

 Scarcely had I changed the plate in the camera 

 when she came back again and remained on my 

 hand for some time. After having once come to 

 me, and finding nothing to fear, she came often, and 

 so did Chicadee. Sometimes they sat together on 

 my shoulder or my hat, and whether I moved about 

 or remained quiet made no difference to them. 



Sitting there in the clearing that adjoined the 

 woods in which was the nest of this interesting 

 family of Chicadees ; surrounded by sweet-scented 

 myrtle and the huckleberries, whose tiny green 

 fruit was hanging in small clusters ; at my feet the 

 exquisite waxlike balls of the stagger bush, than 

 which there are few more dainty or beautiful flowers, 



* This is a rather peculiar habit of the adult chicadee, which 

 may be noticed during the spring and summer months. A. R. D. 



