"Then there are Nuthatches up in the hickory woods," said Rap, "but I never knew their real name until now; for the miller calls them 'white-bellied creepers.' Last summer I found one of their nests, when I wasn't looking for it either." "Do they build here?" asked Olive. "I thought they only visited us in winter. I don't remember ever hearing one sing, or seeing one in late spring or summer." "They live and nest everywhere in the eastern part of the country," said the Doctor; "but they are very silent and shy except in the autumn and winter. In fact, this Nuthatch keeps his nest a secret from everybody but his wife and the Dryad of the tree in which he places it; he will not even trust the little branches with his precious home, but makes it in the wood of the tree itself. You say, Rap, that you found one of these nests--won't you tell us about it?" "It was this way," said Rap. "I was up in a hickory tree trying to look over into a Woodpecker's hole that was in another tree, when I stepped on a stumpy branch that was rotten and partly broke off; and there, inside, was a soft nest made of feathers, with, four very little birds in it. I was afraid they would fall out, but there was enough of the branch left to hold them in. While I was wondering what sort of birds they were, the father and mother came running along a branch above, and gave me a terrible scolding, so pretty soon I slid down and left them. How they did squeak!" and Rap laughed at the remembrance of it. "They have not very musical voices at best," said the Doctor; "even their spring song is a rather husky performance." "Isn't that a Nuthatch now?" asked Nat. "There--hanging to the end tassel of the big spruce; and a lot more above--do come and look, Olive." "No, Nattie, they are the Chickadees that father said, a moment ago, you might mistake for Nuthatches." "Chickadee-dee-dee!" said a bird, looking at the children with one eye. The White-breasted Nuthatch Length about six inches. Upper parts grayish-blue. Top of head and back of neck black. Some black and white marks on wings and tail. Sides of face and whole breast white, turning rusty on belly. Bill strong, straight, sharp-pointed, two-thirds of an inch long. A Citizen of the eastern United States and Canada. A Tree Trapper. THE CHICKADEE "I see them, I see them, _lots_ of them!" almost screamed Dodo, growing so excited that Nat and Olive each grabbed one of her hands to keep her from clapping them, and so driving the Chickadees away. "I never saw a strange new bird so near by," explained Dodo, "and if my eye was only a photograph machine I could take his picture." [Illustration: Chickadee.] "You can make a word-picture instead, by telling us how the bird appears to you," said the Doctor in a low voice, "but you need not whisper, for whispering is an unnatural use of the voice; it makes birds and other people suspicious, and is more likely to attract attention than a quiet low tone."