Page:Bird-lore Vol 01.djvu/26

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
12
Bird-Lore


than the other, and it is her picture that appears oftenest. The timid one,—the male,—even went so far on several occasions as to himself devour the worm he had brought rather than trust himself at close quarters with the unknown enemy, although his mate was at the time coming and going industriously and keeping the little folk well supplied with the great larvae. Surely personal traits and individuality are quite as well marked in the bird world as higher

YOUNG CHICKADEES.

in the scale I After we had made several more exposures similar to the first, one of the best of which shows the bird, worm-laden as before, balanced on the edge of the hole and taking the usual last look at the camera, we turned our attention to catching her as she was coming out. This required quicker cooperation between eye and hand, as the exit was generally made with a dash; but the accompanying picture, with head just emerging, will show that we were fairly successful.

Having concluded from all indications, chief among which was the immense number of huge caterpillars carried in to the young,