148 . Ways of Wood Folk. 



of a twitter, perhaps, and less of gymnastics. In a 

 few moments both birds were together again and 

 flew into the pines out of sight. 



I had almost forgotten them in watching other 

 birds, when they reappeared on the rail, ten or fifteen 

 minutes later, and went through a very similar per- 

 formance. This was unusual, certainly ; and I sat 

 very cjuiet, very much interested, though a bit puz- 

 zled, and a bit disappointed that they had not gone 

 to their nest. They had some material in their 

 beaks both times when they appeared on the rail, 

 and were now probably off hunting for more — for 

 rabbit fur, perhaps, in the old orchard. But what had 

 they done with it } " Perhaps," I thought,- " they 

 dropped it to deceive me." Chickadee does that some- 

 times. " But why did one bird stay on the rail .? 

 Perhaps " — Well, I would look and see. 



I left my stump as the idea struck me, and began 

 to examine the posts of the old fence very carefully. 

 Chickadee's nest was there somewhere. In the second 

 post on the left I found it, a tiny knot-hole, which 

 Chickadee had hollowed out deep and lined with 

 rabbit fur. It was well hidden by the vines that 

 almost covered the old post, and gray moss grew all 

 about the entrance. A prettier nest I never found. 



I went back to my stump and sat down where I 

 could just see the dark little hole that led to the 



