An Adirondack Lunch Counter 19 My observation in this respect is confirmed by a lumberman, who noticed that when eating his lunch back in the woods the Chickadees were very friendly and would carry off scraps of meat and hide them, coming back for more time and again. The next day another pair of Chickadees and a pair of White- breasted Nuthatches came. The Nuthatches had a presumptuous way of taking possession, and came first one and then both together. The Chickadees flew back and forth in an impatient manner, but every time they went near the meat the Nuthatches would fly or hop to- ward them, uttering what sounded to me like a nasal, French «o, no, no, and the Chickadees would re- tire to await their turn when the Nuthatches were away. The news of the free lunch must have traveled as rapidly in the bird world as gossip in a country town usually does, for before long a beautiful male Hairy Woodpecker made his appearance, and came regularly night and morning for a number of days. Hunger made him bold, and he would allow me to walk to within a few feet of him when changing plates in the camera. It was interesting to note his posi- tion on the plank. When he was eating, his tail was braced to steady his body. He did not stand on his feet, except when I attracted his atten- tion by tapping on the window, but when eating put his feet out in front of him in a most peculiar manner. This position enabled him to draw his head far back and gave more power to the stroke of his bill, and shows that Woodpeckers are not adapted for board -walking. Of course the smaller Downy Woodpeckers were around : the always arc in the orchard toward spring. I also iiail a Hock of RctlpoIIs come a number of times after a little bare spot of ground began to show, but although thc ate seeds 1 put on the ground, thcN would not come up on the lumh counter ami iliM not stay very long. lieautiful Pine Gros- beaks came, too, hut the preferred picking up the seeds they founil under the maple trees. The .American CjoKKinches. in their Quaker winter dresses, called, but tin- seeds on some weeds in the garden just peeping above the snow pleased them better than a more i-iaborate lunch, and saying, "per-chic-o-ree," they would leave. 1I.K ()()1)I>ECKER
