tup: chickadee 



55 



her door and slioolc lior dwelling to its foundations; 

 no bird appeared, and not believing it possible that 

 under the circumstances she would remain within 

 the stub, I felt that she must have left without my 

 knowledge, and there- 

 fore retired to await 

 her reappearance. 



At the end of sev- 

 eral minutes the male, 

 with food in his bill, 

 advanced cauti(jusly, 

 and clinging to the 

 rim of the nest open- 

 ing, hung there a mo- 

 ment and departed 

 minus the food. Tliis 

 was surprising. Could 

 there be young in the 

 nest ? or was the bird, 

 in imitation of the 

 Hornbill, feeding his 

 imprisoned mate ? I 

 rapped again, and this 

 time, perhaps taken 

 unawares, the female 

 answered my ques- 

 tion by appearing. 



On June 3d a family arrived in the Chickadee 

 villa, and both birds were found actively engaged in 

 administering to its wants. 



As a return for the inconvenience to which they 

 had been subjected, a perch was erected by way of a 

 step at their door. The female was ajjpreciative and 



2S. Chickadee at nest hole. 



