flock of chickadees that would come to my hand."

[Illustration: SIX WILD CHIPMUNKS DINE WITH MR. LORING]

It would be possible--and also delightful--to fill a volume with
citations of evidence to illustrate the quick acceptance of man's
protection by wild birds and mammals. Let me draw a few illustrations
from my own wild neighbors.

On Lake Agassiz, in the N.Y. Zoological Park, within 500 feet of my
office in the Administration Building, a pair of wild wood-ducks made
their nest last spring, and have just finished rearing nine fine,
healthy young birds. Whenever you see a wood-duck rise and fly in our
Park, you may know that it is a wild bird. During the summer of 1912 a
small flock of wild wood-ducks came every night to our Wild-Fowl Pond,
and spent the night there.

A year ago, a covey of eleven quail appeared in the Park, and have
persistently remained ever since. Last fall and winter they came at
least twenty times to a spot within forty feet of the rear window of my
office, in order to feed upon the wheat screenings that we placed there
for them.

When we first occupied the Zoological Park grounds, in 1899, there was
not one wild rabbit in the whole 264 acres. Presently the species
appeared, and rabbits began to hop about confidently, all over the
place. In 1906, we estimated that there were about eighty individuals.
Then the marauding cats began to come in, and they killed off the
rabbits until not one was to be seen. Thereupon, we addressed ourselves
to those cats, in more serious earnest than ever before. Now the cats
have disappeared; and one day last spring, as I left my office at six
o'clock, everyone else having previously gone, I almost stepped upon two
half-grown bunnies that had been visiting on the front door-mat.

When we were macadamizing the yards around the Elephant House, with a
throng of workmen all about every day, a robin made its nest on the
heavy channel-iron frame of one of the large elephant gates that swung
to and fro nearly every day.

In 1900 we planted a young pine tree in front of our temporary office
building, within six feet of a main walk; and at once a pair of robins
nested in it and reared young there.

[Illustration: WILD CREATURES QUICKLY RESPOND TO FRIENDLY ADVANCES
Chickadee and Chipmunk Tamed by Mr. Loring]

[Illustration: THE COLORADO OBJECT LESSON IN BRINGING BACK THE DUCKS]

Up in Putnam County, where for five years deer have been protected, the
exhibitions