208 Wisconsin State Hobticultural Society. 



the Blue Jay, for he is seldom found frozen. The suffering for 

 food would be great in winter did not nature prompt this bird to 

 provide for his winter wants. In autumn he deposits in hollows, 

 thickets, fence corners, barns, and other convenient places, food for 

 winter. 



Winter Birds — Even wintsr with its desolate ice and snow is 

 made more pleasant and endurable by the bright and merry birds. 

 Troops of Cedar birds, Titmice, Wood-peckers, Snow birds, 

 Cross-bills, Blue-jays. Snow Bunting.*, Pine Finches, Red Polls, 

 etc., come among us at different times during the season. Several 

 varieties of Wood-peckers winter in this latitude. They are most 

 curious and interesting birds. When Wilson, the ornithologist, 

 arrived in this country, he saw for the first time the Red headed 

 Wood-pecker, which he shot and considered it the most beautiful 

 bird that he had ever beheld. 



The Chickadee, or Titmice, are well known winter birds, that 

 come in flocks. A pair of small brown Wood- peckers, called 

 Brown Creepers, always accompany them. The little Chickadee 

 chatters, chirrups and sings in the most happy manner, even 

 though the cold be biting, and zero reigns around him. The Tit- 

 mouse, like its cousin the Wren, is an active, brave, intelligent 

 bird. The one with which we are most familiar, is the Black- 

 capped Titmouse. I had one of those black throated, black- 

 capped little visitors in my parlor last winter that delighted and 

 entertained us with his cunning little ways from morning until 

 night. When I wrote he walked over my paper and perched 

 upon my inkstand, cracked his seed upon the arm of my chair, 

 and whistled most merrily. This dear little creature was a 

 stranger from an unknown land. I knew nothing of his haunts 

 and but little of his habits. Although he weighed no more than 

 an ounce, he had as much individuality as the mammoth elephant. 

 Reason, can it be called instinct, had taught him to husband his 

 food, for winter consumes rather than produces, and in the folds 

 of a curtain, behind a leaf, or in a book, a choice bit of food was 

 preserved for the future. He held the hemp seed between his 

 feet, and pounded away until the shell was broken. He ate no 

 sweets, preferred butter, tallow and rich nuts; cracked a hazel 



