15 



I have found and photographed several other families 

 of Chickadees, one nest of whieh contained twelve eggs. 

 I think this is about a record number and certainly it is 

 more than these birds should have had, for the birch stump 

 was so small that the eggs were arranged in tiers. They 

 did, however, succeed in raising the entire family success- 

 fully. When the little fellows were most ready to leave 

 home, they filled the stump from tlie bottom of the cavity to 



Fig. 8. Father Chickadee often made the mistake of alighting 

 at the wrong^ side. It is the two little birdies at the left that are 

 to be fed this time. 



the top. Those at the bottom were continualh^ pushing 

 their way up in order to get fed in their turn, — a perfect cir- 

 culation of j'oung Chickadees. 



One summer, Mr. E. H. Forbush, well known in orni- 

 thological circles, wrote me that if I would appear with my 



