OF NEW ENGLAND. 61 
as hanging by the claws, or clinging to cones with the head 
downwards. They are so merry, genial, and sociable, that 
their society is sought for, as it were, by other birds, such as 
creepers, nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers and “ kinglets,” 
whose habits are much like their own, and who frequently join 
them in their pleasant rambles and active scrambles. They 
roam wherever there are trees, be they near houses, or in the 
depths of the forests, in valleys or on hill-sides ;!4 but ever- 
greens, particularly pines, and white birches, are their favorites. 
They never take other than short flights, and often, as Wilson 
says, ‘‘ traverse the woods in regular progression from tree to 
tree,” in this manner traveling several miles every day. They 
are very unsuspicious, and allow one to approach closely, so 
that by remaining motionless I have often induced them to 
surround my person. Mr. Samuels mentions an instance of 
one perching on the toe of his boot as he sat in the woods; 
and a young man of Northern New Hampshire once told me 
that they were so tame in cold weather as to feed from his 
hand, but his friends were possibly young and inexperienced 
birds, or at least were probably those who had passed the 
summer in some country uninhabited by man. 
In regard to the manner in which the hardy little Titmice 
pass the night, I have some interesting information to offer 
for the perusal of my readers and I shall here quote from my 
ornithological diary. ‘‘February 10th. This afternoon, just 
before sunset, I noticed: two Chickadees, feeding on the ground, 
and pecking at a bone, to which a remnant of meat was at- 
tached. After saving one of them from a cat, who was steal- 
ing towards and was about to catch them, I remained there 
fifteen minutes. They scarcely left the ground during that 
time, except to take a low perch, until half-past five, when 
one flew away over the house-top and disappeared. The other 
continued to hop about on the ground; and then, without any 
intimation of his purpose, abruptly flew to the piazza, whither 
I followed him. He took possession of a Pewee’s nest, which 
14 Among the White Mountains to an elevation of 4,000 feet (?) 
