Life- History of 



the Chickadee. 



(Third Installment.) 

 — -*♦»- 



After the first brood are large enough to take 

 care of themselves, the parent birds generally build 

 again; sometimes even the third time. 

 The last clutch seldom contains more than five 

 eggs, and the birds do not, as a rule, make the nest 

 as compact as in the early part of the season. 



During the months of July and August, the 

 Chickadee does excellent work in the orchards, as 

 they seem to particularly like the eggs laid there 

 by the numerous injurious insects. 

 The Chickadee remains until late in the fall, and 

 generally all winter in the middle states. They 

 feed, principally, during the cold months on weed 

 seed, buds, eggs and larvae found under fallen logs 

 and limbs. In the winter they may be seen with 

 the Junco's and Sparrows, busily engaged scratch- 

 ing in the leaves for food. 



All the year around, the Chickadee works, help- 

 ing to keep in check the ravishes of insect life. 

 No other bird devotes as much time to catching 

 insects injurious to the orchardist. The Chicka- 

 dee, practically, does not destroy any cultivated 

 crop. It is a factor of economic importance. 



