These birds have become so used to him and his wife that 
several times when she has rushed out to shoot hawks that — 
have learned where food to their liking may be had, a 
chickadee has lit upon the barrel of her gun between the 
sights, and she has had to lose her shot, although her 
presence saved her friends. | 
When boys and girls and men and women of many 
regions provide such Meccas for bird life, there will be in- 
creasing numbers of our present varieties, and possibly new — 
species to adorn our vales and forests, to protect our fields 
and orchards, to enliven our solitudes, and to tat Aeerclte 
to the cultivated ear and eye. 
A bird student is often asked, “What is that little dark 
bird, about five or six inches long, which I see about my — 
home?” and these same people are surprised to know that 
they might see a dozen kinds of birds which would answer 
to that description. Birds like to stay near people, because, 
often without knowing it, they provide conditions which 
make it easier for birds to make their living. If you really 
want to get acquainted with them, look a bit more carefully 
and you will soon begin to see small differences which will — 
help you to decide who your neighbor is. ; 
“Weeds and insects are much more attractive to birds 
than to people, yet they are nearly always to be found along © 
with man, and birds will follow these pests unless driven 
away by cats, dogs, or guns. Then some people believe that 
birds are as curious and sociable as boys, and that they enjoy 
people as we might enjoy them, if we were not too busy 
with matters that do not amount to very much; therefore, 
you should be introduced to a few of the commoner kinds, 
so that you may learn to know them well enough to re- 
cognize them and associate their peculiar ways wath, the 
proper bird. 
Probably some one of the seven species of chines if 
_the Purple Martins are counted as swallows, or one of the 
dozen varieties of the big family of sparrows, apt to be 
69 
