96 



THE WINTER FOOD OF THE CHICKADEE 



were then confined more closely to the evergreen woods and 

 other situations equally sheltered, seldom venturing out into 

 open pastures and fields. In the College woods, which are 

 largely composed of tall pines, there was almost always a 

 flock to be found by very little searching, flying from tree 

 to tree far up in the tops, and scrutinizing closely each mossy 

 limb, or alighting on the terminal twigs and picking some- 

 thing out of the leaf clusters. They did not confine them- 

 selves to the tall growth by any means, but, in a little clump 

 of trees, very similar to that represented in Figure ii, there 

 was a colony to be found at almost any time during the latter 

 half of February." 



ENCOURAGING THE PRESENCE OF CHICKADEES 



Fortunately, these useful birds are easily induced to remain 

 upon the premises, where their services, in destroying the 

 insect enemies of orchards, vineyards, and oth'er plantations, 

 will abundantly repay the sliglit trouble necessary to lead them 

 into a condition of semi-domestication. It has been repeatedly 

 observed by bird lovers in many parts of the Northern states 

 that the chickadees are coinmon in city parks, and about prem- 

 ises in which there are evergreens in which they may find shel- 

 ter during the storms of winter. Numbers of observers have 

 found that by placing bones with a little meat attached to them 

 in a tree, the chickadees and other winter birds are attracted to 

 it, while in one instance the birds became so tame that they 

 would alight on the person who was studying their habits. 

 Mr. Fiske has had abundant opportunity to study this phase of 

 the subject upon his father's farm in Webster, New Hamp- 

 shire, and furnishes the following summary of his observations : 



" Chickadees may readily be taught to come around the 

 house, if fed regularly, and a flock of them thus partially 

 tamed may be the source of much amusement to one having a 

 liking for birds. They are fond of almost any food of an ani- 

 mal nature, especially if it contain more or less fat ; they will 

 also eat farinaceous food to a certain extent, being quite partial 

 to bits of brown bread. If supplied with a surplus of food in 

 the shape of small fragments, they will, after eating all that 



THE WINTER FOOD OF THE CHICKADEE 



97 



they can, carry away large quantities and tuck it away in crev- 

 ices in the bark, or at the base of twigs, in some neighboring 

 tree. If the wood-pile is handy, it affords numerous opportu- 

 nities for this purpose, and is freely used. This habit of stor- 



FiG. II. A Refuge for Birds. 



ing food is of great benefit to the blue jays, who, if the food is 

 displayed on a window-shelf, or some similar situation, dare 

 not get it for themselves, but will hang around until it is stored 

 away by the chickadees, when they will steal the morsels from 

 their hiding places." 



The protection which a pine grove affords to chickadees and 

 other winter birds is one reason why it is desirable to have such 

 a bit of woodland on or near the farm. It also serves as a shel- 

 ter to many other birds during the summer season. 



A remarkable example of the benefit that ma}- be derived 

 from the presence of a flock of chickadees, has been recorded 

 by Mr, E- H. Forbush, in a bulletin of the Massachusetts State 

 Board of Agriculture. In a certain orchard in Massachusetts, 

 canker-worms had been abundant the previous season, and the 

 moths of the fall canker-worm had deposited great numbers of 

 eggs upon the trees. Pieces of meat, bone, or suet were fas- 

 tened to the trees early in the winter, to attract the chickadees. 



