The Audubon Societies 323 



fearlessly alight on head or shoulder, and continue to search for something 

 to eat. While cracking nuts for them, they often came dangerously near 

 the hammer in order to secure the prizes, which were eaten immediately or 

 hidden in some crevice for safe-keeping. At times they seemed exceedingly 

 jealous, as it was seldom that one bird would tolerate having another eat 

 from the hand at the same time. However, on very cold mornings, I have 

 had several birds on each hand at once. These birds often exhibit much 

 intelligence, as the following examples show. Once I put a nut down inside 

 the wristlet of my mitten, to see if Chickadee would find it. After hopping 



A FEARLESS CHICKADEE 



up my arm several times and back again, he spied it, and, after much wrench- 

 ing and tugging, dislodged it and carried it away. On a subsequent visit I 

 noticed that this bird went to the wristlet of my mitten in search of food, 

 which showed that he had not forgotten. Another time, while standing inside 

 the house watching the birds at their feeding-station, one of them flew down 

 and hovered in front of the pane behind which I was standing. After repeating 

 this several times, I concluded that he was coaxing for something to eat, so 

 I procured some nuts and fed him. He evidently knew that it would have the 

 desired effect, for the trick was repeated many times. As spring advanced, 

 they grew suspicious and shy, and by April their visits ceased altogether. — 

 H. Browning Logan (age 16), Royalton, Minn. 



