106 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



but now that I had their young so clearly in my 

 power it might be different ; at any rate, they were 

 determined to watch me, and for this purpose they 

 stayed very near, calling occasionally " Chicadee, 

 chicadee-dee-dee," to which the youngsters in quaint 

 imitation would reply, but " Chica-chica-dee " — or 

 about as near as they could get to it— seemed 

 to please the old birds. It required some time to 

 prepare for the photographic work, but at last, 

 everything being ready, I had only to wait for the 

 parent Chicadees (who by this time had become quite 

 used to the very novel situation) to come on to my 

 knee, for that was the sort of picture I wished. It 

 is needless to say that I was surprised to find how 

 little coaxing was required. Only one call from 

 the young, and Dee-dee replied in person by 

 coming on to my knee, where her children were 

 bunched together, just as though it was the most 

 natural thing in the world for her to do. She 

 brought no food with her, however, so the seven 

 youngsters fluttered, chirped, and opened their 

 yellow-lined mouths in vain. Evidently Dee-dee 

 came with the single idea of satisfying herself of 

 their complete safety ; this being assured, she flew 

 away to receive from her mate a caterpillar of that 

 kind commonly known as the inch worm. This she 

 prepared by eating both the ends, which are armed 

 with feet. Scarcely a minute being required for this, 

 she came directly to the impatient brood still wonder- 

 ing in expressive tones at the unusual delay of their 

 meal-time. Perching on my knee, she singled out 

 one of the seven, apparently without any particular 

 reason, while the remaining six looked on with 



