68 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



bly illustrated in their case than in the others; for while it seems natural 

 for birds of the same families, as warblers and shore-birds, to associate 

 in their southward journey, it is strange to see five different species so 

 inseparable. From the standpoint of human nature this alliance on the 

 part of the Winter Friends is the most natural thing in the world. Dur- 

 ing the long, cold winter season we should be inclined to pity two tiny 

 Kinglets wandering alone through the woods, or a demure creeper 

 wending his way up trunk after trunk without any happy voice nearby 

 to cheer him. 



These birds are essentially Winter Friends; their company is not 

 complete in the Haunt before November, and with the first definite 

 signs of spring the staunch little friends part and go about household 

 cares until another cold season. 



The Chickadee is the guiding spirit of the company. He is the 

 trumpeter, and at the same time the general. Let us go out and see if 

 we can find them. The grove is silent in the cool morning; the light 

 west wind makes the dead oak leaves tremble and toss; a few patches 

 of snow remain from the last storm. As we walk along, talking quiet- 

 ly, a faint "chick" is heard, and another; we pause, and after a minute 

 one of us whistle "phoebe." At once the notes become more plentiful. 

 and after the phoebe note has been repeated several times, a pair of 

 chickadees fly into the tree under which we are' standing, and are soon 

 joined by three more, all apparently busily engaged, while they are try- 

 ing to conceal their curiosity. One scolds "chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee- 

 dee," the last notes with a hoarse tone as if he were really quite enraged, 

 at our presumption. One answers our whistle in an uncertain manner. 

 Meanwhile several little Kinglets are noticed very busily engaged in 

 picking bits of food from the tips of the smallest twigs. The Kinglet 

 has always impressed me as an extraordinarily good-natured little fel- 

 low; he finds plenty of room for a large heart. Not over, nor yet too 

 shy and retiring, he gives his little "zee-zee-zee" in a cheerfu 1 manner. 

 Sometimes in this same grove the Kinglets will descend to the ground 

 to pick about under the leaves which completely bury their tiny bodies. 



With a spirited "yank-yank," the Nuthatch flies up and proceeds to 

 climb over the larger branches with considerable speed. He is a friend- 

 ly bird, too, and is never without interest in a visitor, though he can 

 spare but a moment to give evidence of his friendliness. As he works 

 steadily, head downward, he stops to look up at us in that very 

 characteristic way of his. 



On the next tree, hitching rapidly up the trunk is a brown creeper. 

 Unless we had expected him, we might have missed him entirely, so 

 closely does he resemble the bark. He seems to prefer a somewhat 



