Page:Bird-lore Vol 03.djvu/224

 ^ott& from JTielD anti ^tulip Taming a Nuthatch In my daily walks through Central Park, New York city, last winter I saw two, and sometimes three White-breasted Nuthatches together, presumably always the same indi- viduals. They first drew my attention by flying to the ground for nuts that might be thrown to them. Later I noticed that some- where in my walk I always met them, one or both making their presence known by the familiar rail best expressed in words by TAMING A NUTHATCH Photographed from nature yank-yank-yank. Finally I got the impres- sion that they must know me, perhaps be- cause of my invariable custom of having food with me to throw to the birds. I found that not only would they Hy to the ground for the nut but, what was still more clever, catch it on the wing, thereby, perhaps, turn- ing a complete somersault in the endeavor. -AttLT a week if I came near enough for the female to reach the nut from the trunk of the tree where she would cling, she would take it from my hand and fly (luirkly away. At last she gained confidence enough to alight on ni hand and :iftir that vliciiciT I went to the park that bird, and its mate also, for I think they share the feast, found and greeted me. I am quite sure she enjoyed the performance as much as I did, for she no longer seemed in such a hurry to get away, but stayed for a moment. Then she would fly to some tree to deposit the nut in a crev- ice of the bark either to eat immediately or to conceal it, as do the squirrels, for future use. I suspect the Downy Woodpeckers knew the secret, for I have frequently seen two, and sometimes three, following the Nuthatches, searching the trees where the food had been hidden. I have wished so many times I coidd know the bird at sight as quickly as she does me, for I was always the one to be called and when she saw ine coming toward her she would come to the nearest tree and run down the trunk head foremost ready to fly to my hand as soon as I held it out to her.— E. M. Mead, Nenu York City. A Ptarmigan's Nest (See Frontispiece) The photograph of the sitting White- tailed Ptarmigan shown in the frontispiece of this number of Bird-Lore was taken June 19, 1901, just above timber line on a spur of Mt. Evans, in Clear Creek county, Colorado. The nest was discovered by accident after searching for one for a month at a time every year for nine years, although I frequently found nests after the young were hatched and many broods of young birds were seen, riiis nest was marked and then located three steps and one foot from a given spot, but when I returned with my camera I took the three steps and looked a number of min- utes for the biril without seeing it. I was then on the point of stepping over it, when the eve ot the bird was seen. The bird made no attempt to leave the nest but relied entirely on her wonderfully protective colors to escape observation, and nine exposures were made without her leaving the nest. — EvAN Lewis, IJdho Sprinirs, C.nloraJo.