. The Nidiologist. rson. Its principalfood seems to be such small seeds as it canpick up around barns, but it greatly preferscrumbs from the table, and in search of theseit will fearlessly hop to ones feet. In the April (1894) number of the Nidiolo-GiST, S. Bob White speaks of the habit whichthe Pine Siskin has of eating snow ; and in theMay number Glover M. Allen mentions thesame habit as observed in the Cedar Bird. Ihave often watched the Chickadee as it wouldcrush small lumps of snow in its bill, and,allowing it to melt, would swallow the water with evident relish; and I believe that all bi
. The Nidiologist. rson. Its principalfood seems to be such small seeds as it canpick up around barns, but it greatly preferscrumbs from the table, and in search of theseit will fearlessly hop to ones feet. In the April (1894) number of the Nidiolo-GiST, S. Bob White speaks of the habit whichthe Pine Siskin has of eating snow ; and in theMay number Glover M. Allen mentions thesame habit as observed in the Cedar Bird. Ihave often watched the Chickadee as it wouldcrush small lumps of snow in its bill, and,allowing it to melt, would swallow the water with evident relish; and I believe that all birds,when by reason of the snow they are unable toget water, are accustomed to quench theirthirst in this manner. I have observed thesame habit in the Robin, the Red-headed Wood-pecker, the English Sparrow, and I think in theCrow, but in the latter case the distance wasso great that I was unable to determine withabsolute certainty. But to return to the Chickadee. Early inthe spring it mates, and as soon as the trees. WILLIAM L. KELLS. put forth their leaves it retires to the thickwoods, where it becomes one of the very shy-est of birds, and though abundant, it requiresclose observation to discover one. Exceptduring its short, quick flight from one tree toanother, it is continually in the trees, and gen-erally among the branches. It can climb atree with even greater facility than the Wood-pecker, and to a remarkable degree it pos-sesses the faculty of being always on the oppo-site side of the tree. It now feeds exclusivelyupon insects and worms which it finds uponthe bark and leaves of trees. It never catchesinsects while on the wing. Professor Cook, inBirds of Michigan, quoting from Dr. Atkins,says that they eat tent caterpillars exten-sively. I think the Doctormust be mistaken,but i8 THE NIDIOLOGIST my only reasons for so thinking are that Ihave never seen them indulging in that kind offood ; and the past season a pair of Chickadees,whose actions I have watched and whosehabits
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