126 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Dec. 



a rule it is a bird of the plains and probably reaches its greatest 

 abundance in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In these provinces 

 it flocks over the prairies in search of food, gathering in all 

 manner of seeds from plants protruding above the snow. On the 

 approach of storms the prairies are abandoned for more sheltered 

 situations and it is then that we have the visitations around the 

 farm buildings; at times in such numbers as to almost rival the 

 fast falling snowflakes from which the birds take their name. At 

 such times they gather about the farm-yard and subsist upon 

 the seeds of weeds sticking up above the snow or pick up such 

 as are brought to view by the fury of the wind, and, as the 

 weather clears once more they return to their usual haunts upon 

 the open country. In Manitoba thev reach us from the north, 

 during the middle of October and leave again in late April, a few 

 remaining well into May. 



In this age of practical knowledge something more is re- 

 quired, however, than mere statements. We are asked to look 

 upon the economic side of . hings, be they what they may, and 

 therefore if we wish to picture, however lightly, a bird's life we 

 must not forget its value in dollars and cents. A casual observer 

 would probably describe a Snowflake as a bird of small value 

 economically, which fed chiefly upon the wild seeds found about 

 the prairies. There are other opinions, however, and some 

 individuals actually go so far as to advocate a general war of 

 extermination on the grounds of injury to grain, both in the 

 stack and when it is sprouting in the fields during spring time. 

 We will, therefore, endeavour to present the evidence. 



To begin with, Snowflakes reach us as I have already related, 

 about the middle of October. They then congregate largely 

 upon ploughed fields or cultivated land. What fall wheat there 

 is growing is already too far advanced to be damaged, and as 

 there is.no other crop, so far as I am aware, to be injured, the 

 birds must occupy themselves at this time in picking up either 

 useless material, such as spilt grain or weed seeds, and as there 

 is no grain on summerf allow, land much frequented by snow 

 birds, and as weed seeds are nearly always present, we must 

 conclude that it is these which are being eaten. In winter time 

 as the snow becomes deep the birds desert the ploughed fields 

 and gather more upon stubble land and prairies. It is at this 

 time that they have been accused of collecting around grain 

 stacks and destroving them. But, here again the evidence 

 appears much exaggerated. Supposing the birds do gather upon 

 stacks, and this is not a common habit, the most they could do 

 would be to destroy the top sheaves, amounting in all to not 

 more than half a dozen on each stack. Not a very great loss, 

 even supposing them to be fit for feed, w r hich, as a matter of fact. 



