172 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



The splitting block was only three feet from the pump, but I suppose 

 upon considering the fact that it was easy digging, the decision of the 

 location was carried unanimously between them. 



Every morning after that I was of course dry when passing, and used 

 to call in to see how the little black caps were getting along. With the 

 use of a small mirror I could see that they were just putting in the 

 finish. The finish consisted of fine hair and very soft brown down. 



As the spring passed on the little brown spotted eggs were laid, and 

 the little downy birds were hatched. Always after the young birds 

 were hatched the old ones seemed somewhat more alarmed at the 

 presence of the people who frequented the pump. Each day from then 

 on their troubles seemed to increase. They seemed to be between two 

 fires. The one, the seven always hungry mouths, the other, a family 

 cat that was each day showing an untiring interest in their move- 

 ments. Every day after the cat began to take notice of them I ex- 

 pected to find some disaster had befell the Chickadee family, but the 

 cat was not mine and the neighbor could not be made to see any neces- 

 sity of keeping it shut up. So things went on in this way for a week 

 or more, The young birds were growing very fast now, and were fast 

 filling their crowded home. I was beginning to lose my fear as to their 

 safety, but sometimes when the sky is clearest the storm is nearest. 



The very next morning I found them all gone. Nothing but a few 

 feathers remained to trace them, and doubtless the old mother cat had 

 found each one of them very handy as a change of diet for her teasing 

 kits. William H. Sanders. 



NATURAL HISTORY AS SHE IS HYSTERICLED. 



Dear Sir: — The note of warning voiced in a late issue of your mag- 

 azine as to natural and unnatural history strikes a chord that will vi- 

 brate in the breast of everyone who respects Nature — and Truth — which, 

 after all, is the same thing. 



The bald lack of interest in our wild creatures, so brutally in evidence 

 a few years ago, has surrendered unconditionally to the all-pervading 

 nature study impulse of to-day. And what an amazing flux of "nature" 

 literature. Every magazine and newspaper is saturated with it. It is 

 crammed down the craws of our little children at school and at home 

 retailed (or should I say regurgitated?) for the benefit of doting parents. 



