Whenever I desired to examine the progress of development of this small family I had but to remove the door and look in. This was easily done, for the latchstring was always out. About eight days after hatching the young left the nest.
The Chickadee is one of the farmer’s best friends. During the egg-laying season of the canker-worm moth it destroys a great many eggs. Examination of the stomach contents shows between 200 and 300 canker-worm eggs in each. It has been estimated that each of these birds destroys 14,000 of these eggs during the month of egg laying. The Chickadee has been accused of destroying the buds of fruit trees, but this is not substantiated. It has been found that whenever it attacks a bud it does so to secure the worm which has burrowed into the center.
These birds are doubly useful because they remain with us the entire year and continue their destruction of eggs and larvæ. The amount of work done by a pair of these birds in destroying eggs and larvæ of injurious insects is more than could be accomplished by any man. They should therefore receive the greatest protection possible.
J. Rollin Slonaker.
CAROLINA CHICKADEE.
(Parus carolinensis.)
Life-size.
FROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES.
DICK.
(THE STORY OF A DOG.)
My first remembrance is when I was about two weeks old and lived with my mother, brother and sister in a fancy basket that stood in the corner of a pleasant room in a house in the city of Apokeepsing.
My mistress came into the room followed by another lady, and taking me up she said: “This is the one I am going to give to the little boy.”
The other lady took me in her hands and smoothed my curls as she said: “Well, he is a dear little fellow—but what a darkey he is!”