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Bird - Lore 



eat from one's hand, I decided to try. I 

 put some crushed peanuts on my hand, 

 raised the window just enough to permit 

 the hand to go through, and kept my face 

 well out of sight of the birds. Of course, 

 the friendly Chickadees were the first to 

 discover that food was being offered to 

 them in a different way. They talked a 

 lot about it from their cedar, and finally 

 decided to fly a little nearer to investi- 

 gate. They wanted the nuts very much, 

 but at first didn't quite dare to take them. 

 After patient waiting by the owner of the 

 hand, one brave Chickadee flew quickly 

 down and, snatching a piece of nut carried 

 it to a nearby tree. After that it was easy 

 and they soon became accustomed to see- 

 ing people standing in the window when 

 they came for the nuts. Then I decided 

 to try feeding them outdoors, and it was 

 not long before they were flying all about 

 my head, impatiently waiting their turns 

 at the food. They became so friendly that 

 they expected nuts of everyone who en- 

 tered the yard. The trades-people coming 

 to the kitchen door were puzzled to see 

 the little birds perching on the clothes-line 

 near the door and saying, dee-dee-dee in a 

 most expectant manner, and then flying 

 close to them. 



The Chickadees discovered that I went 

 out at the same hour each morning and 

 returned in a short time — whether they 

 knew I went to the village to get the mail 

 and do the marketing, I can't say. At any 

 rate, the whole flock waited at the foot of 

 the hill and demanded nuts on my return. 

 So nuts were always carried in my pockets. 

 As soon as they saw me coming they would 

 begin their cheery little chickadee-dee-dee, 

 and then swoop down for the nuts that 

 were ready on an outstretched palm. The 

 Chickadees were so individual. One or two 

 would alight confidently on my hand with- 

 out hesitation, while another had to do 

 quite a little fussing and raising of feathers 

 on his saucy black cap before he would 

 decide to take a nut. One bird would stay on 

 my hand and eat a number of pieces before 

 flying away with one, and then there was 

 the greedy bird who always took two pieces 

 with him — all his short little bill could hold. 



The Nuthatches were not so easy to 

 tame, but finally they could not resist the 

 food. It was such fun to see the queer 

 wooden-looking birds, with their clean-cut 

 markings, short tails, and long black bills. 

 They had to do a great amount of talking 

 and running up and down the trunk of the 

 cedar tree, and looking first one way and 

 the other, before deciding to brave, the 

 hand held out for them. When they did 

 come they ate a great deal but never kept 

 still on my hand. Their long claws felt 

 so funny dancing up and down on my 

 fingers. After a while they were as tame 

 as the Chickadees — especially the female 

 Nuthatch with her slate-colored cap. The 

 male has a black cap more like that of the 

 Chickadees. 



One day when standing outdoors with 

 nuts all ready, a Chickadee and Nuthatch 

 both spied them about the same time. The 

 Chickadee got there first and began to eat. 

 That didn't suit the Nuthatch at all, so 

 he lighted on my shoulder and ran the 

 whole length of my arm and chased off 

 the disgusted Chickadee, who went 

 sputtering away into a tree. 



When spring came and it was time to 

 build nests, the birds would no longer eat 

 from my hands, though they still came for 

 the suet. Later the Chickadees disappeared 

 altogether for a time, but returned when 

 their young were able to fly. Then they 

 were very busy and important, feeding suet 

 to the little birds and ignored me com- 

 pletely. It looked as if they had forgotten 

 that we had been such good friends the 

 winter before, but I knew that they would 

 return with the cold weather, ready for the 

 nuts I had to offer. — Elizabeth S. Smith, 

 New York City. 



Eagles and Other Birds Near 

 Troy, N. Y. 



A sign at the Tomhannock reservoir 

 reads "Albany 24 miles." This source of 

 part of Troy's water-supply is reached by 

 bus from that city. On Labor Day, 1920, 

 the water was low, leaving a splendid 

 beach of gravel and large stones for easy 

 walking. From the public road we saw 



