158 BIRD STORIES FROM BURROUGHS 



both in plumage and in duties, seems to prevail 

 among these birds, as among a few other species. 

 During the preparations for housekeeping the 

 birds were hourly seen and heard, but as soon as 

 the first egg was laid, all this was changed. 

 They suddenly became very shy and quiet. Had 

 it not been for the new egg that was added each 

 day, one would have concluded that they had 

 abandoned the place. There was a precious se- 

 cret now that must be well kept. After incuba- 

 tion began, it was only by watching that I could 

 get a glimpse of one of the birds as it came 

 quickly to feed or to relieve the other. 



One day a lot of Vassar girls came to visit me, 

 and I led them out to the little sassafras to see 

 the chickadee's nest. The sitting bird kept her 

 place as head after head, with its nodding plumes 

 and millinery, appeared above the opening to 

 her chamber, and a pair of inquisitive eyes peered 

 down upon her. But I saw that she was getting 

 ready to play her little trick to frighten them 

 away. Presently I heard a faint explosion at the 

 bottom of the cavity, when the peeping girl 

 jerked her head quickly back, with the exclam- 

 ation, " Why, it spit at me !" The trick of the 

 bird on such occasions is apparently to draw in 

 its breath till its form perceptibly swells, and 

 then give forth a quick, explosive sound like an 



